ARS | Publication request: BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF ASPERGILLUS FLAVUS BY PICHIA ANOMALA

Submitted to: Aflatoxin Workshop
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: October 25, 2004
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: Field evaluation of the efficacy of the biocontrol agent, P. anomala WRL-076 was carried out in an orchard. Pistachio nut-fruits on the tree were individually wounded with a dental needle and sprayed with aqueous suspension of yeasts at 3x107 cells/ml in mid July. The wounded nut-fruits without yeast-spray were used as controls. Four weeks after the spray, wounded nut-fruit was hand picked from the tree and analyzed by standard microbiological techniques. Colonization of A. flavus in yeast-sprayed nut-fruits was lower than the control without yeast. Furthermore the total spore numbers of A. flavus on yeast-sprayed nut-fruits had decreased significantly in comparison to the control. The results indicate that P. anomala strain WRL-076 could protect the wounded nut-fruits from the infection and growth of A. flavus and other fungi.