CHEMICAL CONTROL OF FUNGAL DISEASES OF STORED SOLANUM LYCOPERSICUM FRUIT BY POTASSIUM BICARBONATE AND CALCIUM CHLORIDE

Abstract

The present study was carried out to see the effect of potassium bicarbonate and calcium chloride to control post-harvest diseases caused by fungi in stored tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). Samples of tomato fruit were collected from different places of Rawalpindi district. Eight fungal species namely Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus niger, Cladosporium fulvum, Fusarium oxysporum, Penicillium oxalium, Rhizopus stolonifer, Mucor racemosus and Botrytis cinerea were found in the samples. It was found that among the eight fungal species, M. racemosus and B. cinerea were responsible for significant spoilage and weight loss of stored tomato. Potassium bicarbonate and calcium chloride were applied to these samples at different concentrations viz. 1.5, 2.5 and 3%. It was found that potassium bicarbonate at 2.5% concentration resulted in 6.66% spoilage and 11% weight loss. While it was found that when concentrations of calcium chloride (CaCl₂) was increased from 1.5-3.5%, the degree of spoilage and weight loss decreased significantly as well. The results revealed that gradual increase in concentration of applied chemical decreased the degree of spoilage and weight loss in stored tomato.