Shortwave Ultraviolet Irradiation for Control of Decay Caused by Botrytis cinerea in Bell Pepper: Induced Resistance and Germicidal Effects

Shortwave ultraviolet radiation (UV-C) was tested for controlling natural infections and inducing resistance to fungal decay caused by Botrytis cinerea Pers.: Fr. (gray mold rot) in bell pepper [ Capsicum annuum L. var. annuum (Grossum Group)] fruit. All UV-C doses tested (0.22, 0.44, 0.88, or 2.20 kJ·m -2 ) caused a reduction in the number of natural infections occurring during storage at 13 °C. A UV-C dose of 0.88 kJ·m -2 controlled most effectively natural infections in peppers stored at both 13 or 20 °C. Although UV-C was found to be highly germicidal to B. cinerea conidia exposed on agar or on fruit wounds, it did not prevent infection of fruit inoculated with the pathogen 24 hours before exposure to UV-C. However, fruit which were exposed to UV-C 24 hours before inoculation with B. cinerea had a lower percentage of infections. For this reason, UV-C appears to act mainly as an inducer of disease resistance in this crop rather than a sanitizing agent. UV-C was effective in inducing resistance to B. cinerea in fruit at various stages of maturity, from green to red. Disease resistance was also induced in fruit which had been stored for 7 days before UV-C treatment. The effect of UV-C doses was found to be additive as two successive exposures at 0.44 kJ·m -2 had an equivalent effect as one exposure to the optimal dose of 0.88 kJ·m -2 . However, two successive exposures to 0.88 kJ·m -2 were less effective than one exposure to this dose.