Biological control of anthracnose of avocado

Abstract

Anthracnose is a major postharvest disease of avocado in Australia and New Zealand. Current control of this disease relies heavily on the use of fungicides, both before and after harvest. Worldwide consumer concern over the use of pesticides in agriculture has prompted the search for non-chemical alternatives to fungicides for disease control in many horticultural crops. Biological control, using naturally-occurring microorganisms isolated from fruit and leaf surfaces, has been shown overseas to have considerable potential for the control of a range of preharvest and postharvest diseases of tropical fruit including avocado. The aim of this project was to evaluate biological control for anthracnose of avocado.