Efficacy of plant extracts for management of post-harvest sour rot of Kinnow fruits

Sour rot of Kinnow fruits incited by Geotrichum candidum Link. (ITCC No. 6130) was found one of the most destructive rot responsible for nearly 14 per cent of the total post-harvest fruit decay occurred in sriganganagar belt of Rajasthan every year. An experiment was laid out to test the fungitoxicity of some indigenous plant extracts against mycelial growth of the pathogen under in vitro conditions. Highly potential extracts were further explored for their bioefficacy to manage the sour rot. Extract of Eucalyptus amygdalina proved significantly superior over rest of the extracts used, exhibited 72.59 per cent inhibition in mycelial growth of the pathogen over control followed by Allium sativum (67.84%). fruits treated by dipping in solution of E. amygdalina extract showed least incidence i.e. 21.91 and 28.10 per cent, respectively, in pre-and post-inoculation treatments and provided 74.15 and 67.49 per cent reduction in rotting over untreated control. The extracts of A. sativum proved next in order of bioefficacy.