The Use of Specific Non- Yeasts as Sustainable Biocontrol Solutions Against on Apples and Strawberries.

Apples and strawberries hold significant commercial and nutritional value but face pre- and post-harvest spoilage due to infections by While spoilage is conventionally managed using synthetic chemicals, there is a growing interest in utilising yeasts as biological control agents. This study aimed to assess the antifungal potential of non- yeasts , , and against three strains (B05.10, IWBT-FF1, and PPRI 30807) on agar plates and in post-harvest trials on apples and strawberries. exhibited a broad range of extracellular enzyme production and inhibition rates of 55%, 52%, and 40% against the strains. In volatile organic compound (VOC) assays, and achieved 79% and 56% inhibition, respectively, with VOCs like isobutanol, isoamyl alcohol, 2-phenylethanol, isoamyl acetate, and 2-phenethyl acetate identified. In post-harvest trials, was most effective on apples, with inhibition rates up to of 64%. The commercial fungicide Captan and and achieved 100% inhibition against the strains B05.10 and IWBT-FF1 on strawberries. These findings highlight the potential of the selected yeast species as biological control agents against , warranting further research into their application in commercial fruit protection.