Effect of Antagonistic Microorganisms on Extension of Shelf-life and Physiochemical Properties of Papaya (Carica papaya) var. Red Lady

A wide range of fungi, bacteria, yeast and actinomycetes can be used as antagonistic microorganisms against post-harvest pathogens in many horticulture produce. It is considered as non-toxic ecofriendly method to minimize post-harvest loss due to diseases during storage. In this contest an experiment was conducted in the Department of Agricultural Microbiology and Post-Harvest Technology, COH, Bagalkot, Karnataka during the year 2017-2018. Five effective antagonistic microorganisms, against post-harvest anthracnose disease causing organism Colletotrichum gleosporiodies were isolated and used to in papaya fruits with an objective to reduce the anthracnose disease infection and to extend shelf life of papaya fruits with retention of good physiochemical properties. In the present experiment the papaya fruits treated with biocontrol agents and observed that, the papaya fruits treated with BCA5-Isolate No.10 (T5) exhibited higher shelf life of 10 days with minimum physiological loss in weight (16.23%), higher firmness (2.16 N) and higher TSS (14.10o brix) and ascorbic acid (38.19 mg/100 g) at 9 days of storage followed by BCA-Isolate No.09(T4) and Carbendazium at 0.1 per cent for 5 min(T7). Similarly the effect of biocontrol agents on physiochemical properties of papaya fruits challenge inoculated with C. gloeosporioides showed that, fruits treated with T5 (BCA5 -Isolate No. 10) recorded higher shelf life of 9.67 days with lowest per cent physiological loss in weight (16.13%), higher firmness retention (2.22 N), higher TSS (12.47o brix), and ascorbic acid content (30.19 mg/100 g) at 9 days of storage followed by BCA4 -Isolate No.9 (T4) and Carbendazium at 0.1 per cent (T7). These two isolates identified in this experiment can be effectively used alternative to chemicals against anthracnose.