Work

The Use of Specific Non-Saccharomyces Yeasts as Sustainable Biocontrol Solutions Against Botrytis cinerea on Apples and Strawberries

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Apples and strawberries hold significant commercial and nutritional value but face pre- and post-harvest spoilage due to infections by Botrytis cinerea. While spoilage is conventionally managed using synthetic chemicals, there is a growing interest in utilising yeasts as biological control agents. This study aimed to assess the antifungal potential of non-Saccharomyces yeasts Suhomyces pyralidae, Meyerozyma guilliermondii, Pichia kluyveri, Zygoascus hellenicus, and Aureobasidium melanogenum against three B. cinerea strains (B05.10, IWBT-FF1, and PPRI 30807) on agar plates and in post-harvest trials on apples and strawberries. Aureobasidium melanogenum exhibited a broad range of extracellular enzyme production and inhibition rates of 55%, 52%, and 40% against the strains. In volatile organic compound (VOC) assays, P. kluyveri and S. pyralidae achieved 79% and 56% inhibition, respectively, with VOCs like isobutanol, isoamyl alcohol, 2-phenylethanol, isoamyl acetate, and 2-phenethyl acetate identified. In post-harvest trials, S. pyralidae was most effective on apples, with inhibition rates up to of 64%. The commercial fungicide Captan and S. pyralidae and P. kluyveri achieved 100% inhibition against the B. cinerea strains B05.10 and IWBT-FF1 on strawberries. These findings highlight the potential of the selected yeast species as biological control agents against B. cinerea, warranting further research into their application in commercial fruit protection.

Source: Journal of Fungi

DOI: 10.3390/jof11010026