Control of spot on pomegranate fruit in field and phytosanitary quality during postharvest

Abstract

The pomegranate is a fruit with high productive potential; however, the hot and humid climate favors the occurrence of diseases that cause spots on the fruit peel, reducing their commercial value. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate different controlling methods of spots on pomegranate fruit under field conditions and their relation with the diseases incidence during the postharvest. The experiment consisted of the following treatments: Test: control group; VM: Viçosa mixture; MZ: Mancozeb; MZ+PC: Plastic cover + Mancozeb; CZ: Carbendazim; KP: Potassium phosphite; P+C: Picoxystrobin + Ciproconazole. Evaluations were performed at 29, 51, 57, 65 and 72 days after application. The treatments MZ, MZ+PC and CZ were more efficient in reducing the severity and incidence on field, with AUDPC-Sev of 67.50; 89.72 and 198.33, respectively. At the post-harvest treatments MZ+PC, MZ, CZ and P+C, the rates of fungal incidence were lower, with 29.2, 37.5, 45.8 and 62.5%, in that order. A linear relationship was found between severity and spots incidence on field with the fungi incidence during postharvest. The Mancozeb treatment was efficient in controlling fruit spots, in addition to reducing the occurrence of diseases during the postharvest of pomegranate.