T76-14 Released Volatile Organic Compounds against Postharvest Fruit Rot in Muskmelons () Caused by .

Postharvest fruit rot caused by is a destructive postharvest disease of muskmelon (). Biocontrol by antagonistic microorganisms is considered an alternative to synthetic fungicide application. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanisms of action involved in the biocontrol of postharvest fruit rot in muskmelons by species. Seven spp. isolates were selected for in vitro testing against in potato dextrose agar (PDA) by dual culture assay. In other relevant works, T76-14 showed a significantly higher percentage of inhibition (81%) than other isolates. Through the sealed plate method, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from . T76-14 proved effective at inhibiting the fungal growth of by 62.5%. Solid-phase microextraction GC/MS analysis revealed several VOCs emitted from . T76-14, whereas the dominant compound was tentatively identified as phenylethyl alcohol (PEA). We have tested commercial volatile (PEA) against in vitro growth of ; the result showed PEA at a concentration of 1.5 mg mL suppressed fungal growth with 56% inhibition. Both VOCs and PEA caused abnormal changes in the fungal mycelia. In vivo testing showed that the lesion size of muskmelons exposed to VOCs from . T76-14 was significantly smaller than that of the control. Muskmelons exposed to VOCs from . T76-14 showed no fruit rot after incubation at seven days compared to fruit rot in the control. This study demonstrated the ability of . T76-14 to produce volatile antifungal compounds, showing that it can be a major mechanism involved in and responsible for the successful inhibition of and control of postharvest fruit rot in muskmelons.