ABSTRACT
A consistent portion of harvested fruits and vegetables is lost before consumption, mainly because of fungal rots. Another concern is due to the ability of many fungi to produce toxic secondary metabolites, known as mycotoxins. Indeed, some species of the genera Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Alternaria, causing postharvest rots, produce metabolites well known to pose a risk to human and animal health, so that their maximum content in harvested commodities and derived products has been established by national and international legislation. Recent studies support a role for mycotoxins as pathogenicity factors, so that a decrease in mycotoxin production might be useful from a disease control perspective. In fact, alternatives to the current practice of applying synthetic chemicals to harvested agricultural products are needed, since often the use of these fungicides or fumigants has become increasingly banned by buyers or regulators. They also can be ineffective because of increasing restrictions that severely limit residue contents in products to levels below those effective as well as the appearance of fungicide-resistant strains of these pathogens. Furthermore, a consequence of the banning of or use of suboptimal concentrations of fungicides may enable their survival and create more opportunities for mycotoxin biosynthesis. Thus, the demand for alternative control means (e.g. microbial antagonists, natural compounds, physical means, etc.) is increasing. These alternatives have a better potential for success if applied with optimum timing, and thus the early and rapid detection of pathogens is of paramount importance. In this chapter, we review the main mycotoxigenic fungal genera found on harvested agricultural products with particular reference to their detection and control.
