ABSTRACT
Tomato fruit are susceptible to postharvest diseases caused by various pathogenic fungi. Gray mold, caused by Botrytis cinerea, is considered the most important pathogen responsible for postharvest decay of fresh fruit and vegetables, having a wide range of hosts. This chapter explains the evaluation of synergistic effects of combining selenium (Se) with melatonin (MT) against gray mold caused by B. cinerea in tomato fruit. It also discusses the possible mechanisms by which MT enhanced Se-induced disease resistance to B. cinerea in tomato fruit. A single application of Se was effective for controlling gray mold caused by B. cinerea, but better control was achieved when Se was used in combination with MT. The timing of Se and MT application affected the efficacy of disease control. Application of only Se alone before pathogen inoculation resulted in significantly higher incidence of B. cinerea disease and lesion diameters compared to the Se treatment after pathogen inoculation.
