Grants and Contracts Details
Description
The post-harvest rotting of fruits and vegetables is a significant cause of agricultural losses
(Feliziani & Romanazzi, 2016; Thole et al., 2020; Kim et al., 2022; Malarczyk et al., 2019). The
post-harvest rotting is predominantly due to fungal infections and can be suppressed by synthetic
fungicides. However, synthetic fungicides carry significant risks for human health, and consumer
awareness of this health problem has shifted purchasing behavior towards organically-grown
produce which is typically more susceptible to rotting. In addition to causing losses in crop market
value, fungal rotting may lead to the accumulation of mycotoxins, which are detrimental to human
health (Nan et al., 2022).
In plants, the phenylpropanoid pathway serves as a rich source of natural products, many of which
accumulate upon fungal invasion, suggesting that phenylpropanoids play an important role in the
defense against fungal pathogens (Yadav et al., 2020). Importantly, the increased production of
these metabolites occurs in response to a wide range of microbial infections, suggesting that their
protective activities are not restricted to specific protection against particular pathogens. We have
recently shown that two phenylpropanoids directly suppress fungal sporulation and growth (Shull
et al., 2020). These two metabolites, trans-cinnamic acid and para-coumaric acid, are non-toxic
for humans and could be used in the post-harvest treatment of fruits and vegetables to prolong
shelf life and prevent mycotoxin accumulation. This project aims to test if these two natural
fungicides can be used to preserve tomatoes, strawberries, blackberries, and sweet potatoes, all
of which are susceptible to post-harvest fungal rotting and are specialty crops in Kentucky
agriculture.
Status | Active |
---|---|
Effective start/end date | 2/29/24 → 9/29/26 |
Funding
- KY Department of Agriculture: $25,249.00
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