Killer yeasts as biocontrol agents of postharvest fungal diseases in lemons

Abstract

One of the main problems affecting the citrus industry worldwide is caused by fungal diseases at postharvest stage. This leads to huge amounts of lemon fruit being unnecessarily discarded which contributed to the overall generation of agricultural wastes. Synthetic fungicides are nowadays the major agents used to control diseases of fungal origin. However, long-term and uncontrolled usage may lead to environmental problems such as growing restrictions that are mainly due to its toxicity. Among biocontrol agents, killer yeasts appear as efficient candidates especially for combating fungal postharvest decay in lemons.