Post-harvest decay control of citrus, pome, stone and tropical fruit with antagonistic yeasts (Metschnikowia, Candida, Aureobasidium), hot-water treatment and chitosan coatings — instead of synthetic post-harvest fungicides
Imazalil, thiabendazole, ortho-phenylphenol (OPP/SOPP), pyrimethanil, fludioxonil, prochloraz (banana, mango, citrus), carbendazim/benomyl (where still used) applied as dips, drenches and waxes
Suppliers 3
| UPL Limited (NSE) | India | active |
| QINGDAO SEAWIN BIOTECH GROUP | China | active |
| Marine Hydrocolloids | India | active |
Route into Russia / EAEU PEST
- Regulator
- Ministry of Agriculture (Minselkhoz)
- Typical time
- 2-3 years (registration trials over seasons)
- Legal basis
- Federal Law 109-FZ (19.07.1997); registration trials, expert assessment, entry in the State Catalogue of pesticides and agrochemicals permitted in the RF; microbial and viral biopesticides are pesticides (EEC)
Information, not legal advice — confirm the procedure for your product.
Proof 4 claims
Application of synthetic fungicides such as imazalil, thiabendazole, and sodium o-phenylphenol (SOPP) in wax or aqueous solutions.
Post-harvest application of antagonistic yeasts (e.g., Metschnikowia fructicola, Pichia guilliermondii), chitosan coatings, and hot water treatments.
- Displaced at scale?
- no
- Caveats
- There is no quantitative evidence of large-scale commercial displacement of synthetic fungicides by antagonistic yeasts, hot water, or chitosan. While some biofungicides have been developed and commercialized, they have faced significant challenges in market penetration, consistent efficacy, and adoption compared to conventional chemical treatments.
- checked
- 2026-10-06
| The use of antagonistic yeasts as a post-harvest treatment is a promising alternative to synthetic fungicides, but only a limited number of these agents have successfully transitioned into commercial products. “In this sense, several studies reported the positive effect of the use of the antagonistic yeast in the biocontrol of the post-harvest fungal diseases, but only a lim ited number have successfully transitioned into the realm of commercial antifungal prod ucts.” · · pilot or niche | peer-reviewed exa.ai |
| Commercial biofungicides like Aspire (based on Candida oleophila) have been marketed but failed to achieve widespread success due to inconsistent efficacy and industry perception. “Aspire™, based on Candida oleophila [117], has been commercialized for some years but did not prevail due to low and inconsistent efficacy under commercial conditions, difficulties in market penetration, and perception of the customers and industry [113].” · · | peer-reviewed pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov |
| Antagonistic yeasts are often reported to be more expensive than conventional chemical fungicides, which creates a barrier to their broader commercial adoption. “Antagonistic yeasts tend to be costlier than chemical fungicides, which pose usability challenges [168].” · · | peer-reviewed exa.ai |
| The primary drivers for researching and attempting to switch to bio-based alternatives are consumer demand for residue-free fruit, the development of fungicide resistance in pathogens, and environmental/health concerns. “Nowadays, there is growing demand among consumers for fruits free of chemical residues harmful to human health. In addition, postharvest pathogens often develop resistance to fungicides. Therefore, there is a need for new and effective means of postharvest disease control that reduce risks to human health and the …” · · | weak (company, news, market research, other) www.techagro.org |
References 4
- Droby S, Wisniewski M, Macarisin D, Wilson C (2009). Twenty years of postharvest biocontrol research: is it time for a new paradigm? *Postharvest Biology and Te VERIFIED DOI · cited by 677
- Spadaro D, Droby S (2016). Development of biocontrol products for postharvest diseases of fruit: the importance of elucidating the mechanisms of action of yeast VERIFIED DOI · cited by 670
- Romanazzi G, Feliziani E, Sivakumar D (2018). Chitosan, a biopolymer with triple action on postharvest decay of fruit and vegetables: eliciting, antimicrobial a VERIFIED DOI · cited by 181
- Palou L, Smilanick JL, Droby S (2008). Alternatives to conventional fungicides for the control of citrus postharvest green and blue moulds. *Stewart Postharvest VERIFIED DOI · cited by 85
Details
Replaces: synthetic post-harvest fungicide dips and waxes · Products: fruit · Evidence: medium–high
The chemical problem#
Post-harvest fungicides are applied directly to the edible product, days before consumption. Citrus green and blue moulds (Penicillium digitatum, P. italicum) are controlled with imazalil, thiabendazole and OPP; bananas and mango with prochloraz, thiabendazole and imazalil. These leave the highest residues found in retail fruit (citrus peel is also used in food: zest, marmalade). Packing-house Penicillium populations are resistant to imazalil and thiabendazole in many regions. Workers in packing houses are exposed daily, and dip wastewater is a disposal problem.
Product overview#
- Antagonistic yeasts (biocontrol):
- Metschnikowia fructicola (Shemer, developed in Israel; registered for pre- and post-harvest use on several fruits and vegetables).
- Candida oleophila (historic Aspire; newer products) and Aureobasidium pullulans (Boni Protect, pre-harvest against storage rots of pome fruit).
- Pantoea agglomerans, Cryptococcus, Pichia species in research and regional products.
- Hot-water treatment: short hot-water dips or hot-water rinsing and brushing (HWRB): e.g. citrus at about 50–56 °C for 20 s to 2 min; mango at 46–48 °C (also quarantine against fruit flies); apples at about 50–54 °C for 2–3 min (see P03).
- Chitosan coatings: a biopolymer from crustacean shells or fungal biomass, with a triple action: film-forming, antimicrobial, and eliciting the fruit’s defence.
- GRAS salts: sodium bicarbonate/carbonate, potassium sorbate in heated solutions (partial).
- Edible coatings based on plant waxes (carnauba, candelilla) and plant proteins instead of morpholine-emulsified petroleum waxes.
Active ingredient / Composition#
Yeast cells (about 10⁷–10⁸ CFU/mL working suspension), hot water, chitosan 0.5–2 % solutions, GRAS salts (2–3 %).
Key facts#
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Class | Microbial biocontrol + physical + biopolymer |
| Efficacy | Often 50–90 % decay reduction; best in combinations (yeast + hot water + salt), approaching fungicide levels in several studies |
| Residues | None of concern (GRAS materials) |
| Resistance | Low risk (multiple modes of action) |
Advantages#
- Residue-free fruit, which retailers increasingly demand (residue limits stricter than the legal MRL).
- Controls fungicide-resistant Penicillium strains.
- Safer packing-house work and wastewater.
- Chitosan uses seafood or fungal-fermentation byproducts.
Mode of action#
- Yeasts: rapid wound colonization, competition for nutrients (especially iron and sugars), biofilm formation, lytic enzymes, and induced resistance in the fruit peel.
- Hot water: cleans spores from the surface, melts the epicuticular wax into cracks (closing wounds), and induces defence compounds.
- Chitosan: a barrier film, a cationic antimicrobial effect, and elicitation of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and chitinases in the fruit.
Application#
| Fruit | Target | Program | Specifics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Citrus | Green and blue mould, sour rot | HWRB + sodium bicarbonate + antagonistic yeast in the wax or drench; chitosan or plant-based wax | Gentle handling (wounds are the entry points); packing-house sanitation |
| Banana | Crown rot | Hygiene of cut crowns; hot water; Bacillus/yeast dips (partial) | – |
| Mango, papaya | Anthracnose, stem-end rot | Hot water (also quarantine treatment) + chitosan | – |
| Strawberry, grape, stone fruit | Grey mould, Rhizopus, brown rot | Pre-harvest A. pullulans/M. fructicola; post-harvest chitosan; cold chain | – |
| Apple, pear | Blue mould, bull’s-eye rot | See P03 | – |
Limitations#
- Preventive: yeasts do not eradicate infections established before treatment. Combine with cold chain and hygiene.
- Variable efficacy by cultivar and season; products need a cold chain (living cells).
- Chitosan from shellfish is an allergen-labelling consideration in some markets; fungal chitosan avoids this.
Evidence of displacement — D0: no verified evidence#
No verified figure was found for this substitution.
Suppliers — real products and services (from the vendor index)#
Companies below are active vendors in the vendor index whose own card (profile / official website) shows this product or service — matched 2026-09-28 by keyword and checked by hand against the card text. Being listed is not an endorsement; open each card for evidence, contacts and status.
Update 2026-10-06: removed after the freshness refresh — no longer
active: Insectta (in liquidation, Sept 2026).
| Company | Region · Country | What the index shows | Card |
|---|---|---|---|
| UPL Limited (NSE) | Asia · India | DECCO fruit coatings and post-harvest storage technology | card |
| QINGDAO SEAWIN BIOTECH GROUP | Asia · China | chitosan oligosaccharides | card |
| Marine Hydrocolloids | Asia · India | chitin and chitosan | card |
Government funding signals#
Public grants for a specific technology are a leading indicator: governments fund what regulators want to replace and what is close to practical adoption. Searched on 2026-09-27 in: EU CORDIS (FP7, Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe), US federal awards (USAspending: USDA NIFA/ARS/APHIS/Forest Service, EPA, DOE, NOAA, USAID; plus NSF and NIH), UK UKRI Gateway to Research, Australian Research Council. Each grant below was reviewed by hand for relevance. China, Brazil and India are covered in the subsection below (publication-acknowledged grants). Not covered: Russia (RSF, FASIE — not reachable from the research environment) and national agencies outside these databases. Amounts are the funder’s contribution as recorded (US NIH/UKRI: per award or fiscal year).
Signal: Moderate. 2 relevant grant(s) · about €3.9M in total · jurisdictions: EU, USA.
| Funder / programme | Project | Lead organisation | Start | Amount | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| European Commission — H2020 SME-2 | AgroStore: Replacing chemical fungicides with innovative, cost-effective plant-based solutions, to cut food waste and carbon emissions and enhance food security | Agrosustain Sa (CH) | 2021 | 2,492,875 EUR | link |
| US federal — National Institute of Food and Agriculture | S and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** washington state provides nearly all organic pome fruit grown in… | Washington State University (US) | 2021 | 1,499,887 USD | link |
China, Brazil, India — national research grants acknowledged in publications#
Chinese, Brazilian and Indian funders have no open grant databases reachable here, so this measures scientific papers published since 2015 that acknowledge national government grants, taken from the grant numbers publishers deposit with Crossref. Only papers whose title contains this article’s key terms are counted (a conservative lower bound; “100+” = search window full). It shows research-funding intensity, not budgets. Funders: China — NSFC, National Key R&D Program, China Agriculture Research System; Brazil — CNPq, CAPES, FAPESP, Embrapa, FAPEMIG; India — DBT, DST, ICAR, SERB, CSIR, BIRAC. Rating per country: Strong ≥50 papers · Moderate 10–49 · Weak 1–9.
| Country | Papers funded (2015–2026) | Signal | Main funders (grant acknowledgements) | Example grant → funded paper |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 103+ | Strong | NSFC (128), National Key R&D Program (19), China Agriculture Research System (9) | NSFC 3247160624 → New application of Papiliotrema aurea: Isolation, biocontrol of postharvest green mold in citrus and… (2026) doi |
| Brazil | 13 | Moderate | CNPq (10), FAPEMIG (7), CAPES (4) | FAPESP 2011/23432-8 → Physical postharvest treatments combined with antagonistic yeast on the control of orange green mold (2017) doi |
| India | 2 | Weak | ICAR (2), DBT (1) | – |
Scientific evidence#
- Droby S, Wisniewski M, Macarisin D, Wilson C (2009). Twenty years of postharvest biocontrol research: is it time for a new paradigm? Postharvest Biology and Technology 52: 137–145.
- Spadaro D, Droby S (2016). Development of biocontrol products for postharvest diseases of fruit: the importance of elucidating the mechanisms of action of yeast antagonists. Trends in Food Science & Technology 47: 39–49.
- Romanazzi G, Feliziani E, Sivakumar D (2018). Chitosan, a biopolymer with triple action on postharvest decay of fruit and vegetables: eliciting, antimicrobial and film-forming properties. Frontiers in Microbiology 9: 2745.
- Palou L, Smilanick JL, Droby S (2008). Alternatives to conventional fungicides for the control of citrus postharvest green and blue moulds. Stewart Postharvest Review 4(2): 1–16.
Bioeconomy value#
Fermentation-produced yeasts and shell- or fungus-derived chitosan replace synthetic fungicides applied directly to food, using circular biomass from seafood processing.