Evaluation of different formulations of Bacillus licheniformis in mango pack house trials

Different formulations of Bacillus licheniformis were evaluated on their own and in combination with prochloraz and stroburilin for their ability to reduce mango post-harvest fruit diseases (anthracnose and stem-end rot (SR)) when applied as a dip treatment in a mango pack house. Untreated fruit and fruit treated with either prochloraz or stroburilin alone served as controls. In these trials treatments integrating chemical pesticides with B. licheniformis controlled anthracnose and SR as effectively as the chemical control. The antagonist was more effective especially in the control of post-harvest diseases when fruit were kept in cold storage to simulate export conditions. In two of the three trials, results obtained when fruit was treated with the antagonist in combination with the commercial chemical were comparable to that obtained with the commercial chemical control. In this study, it was found that the antagonist when used in mango pack house treatments could provide an effective alternative to fungicides. Furthermore, the powder formulation of the antagonist can be successfully incorporated into the existing pack line.