ABSTRACT
Pomegranate, persimmon, and loquat are traditional minor fruit crops of increasing economic importance in various subtropical production areas. They are highly valued for their nutritional, antioxidant, and health-promoting qualities. Marketing of fresh fruit, however, is hindered by the incidence of economically important postharvest diseases mainly caused by fungal pathogens. Control measures are needed to reduce the incidence of latent infections initiated in the field during blossom or fruit growth, and of wound infections that occur primarily during and after harvest. Chemical fungicides applied after harvest are commonly employed to control these diseases. However, they are not registered in some producing areas, banned for use for “organic” producers, and pathogens can develop resistance to them. Therefore, alternatives based on integrated disease management programs employing environmentally safe preharvest and postharvest control measures are needed to reduce decay losses and extend fruit postharvest life. Diseases common to all three fruit species include Alternaria rot, gray mold, anthracnose, and green–blue molds, caused by Alternaria spp., Botrytis cinerea, Colletotrichum spp., and Penicillium spp., respectively.
