Laboratory effect of Boni Protect containing Aureobasidium pullulans (de Bary) Arnoud in the control of some fungal diseases of apple fruit
The efficacy of <em>Aureobasidium pullulans </em>(in the biopreparation Boni Protect) against different pathogens of apples (<em>Botrytis cinerea, Monilinia fructigena, Penicillium expansum, </em>and <em>Pezicula malicorticis</em>) was evaluated under laboratory con- ditions. The biocontrol product was applied at concentrations of 0.05%, 0.1%, and 0.5%. Fruits of apple cultivars 'Jonagold Decosta' and 'Pinova' were used. Boni Protect was very effective against <em>B. cinerea </em>on cv. 'Jonagold Decosta', reducing disease incidence by 55–83.8%. On 'Pinova' apples, this biological control product was the most efficient at earlier stages of the experiment. It inhibited grey mold by 65% after 5 days from inoculation and only by 14% after 20 days. On cv. 'Jonagold Decosta', Boni Protect at a concentration of 0.1% was also effective against <em>M. fructigena</em>, reducing brown rot by 31.4–74.5%, but its efficiency on cv. 'Pinova' was not significant. Blue mold caused by <em>P. expansum </em>was inhibited only slightly by the biocontrol product, while <em>P. malicorticis </em>proved to be the most resistant to its antagonistic abilities.