Effect of Antagonistic Microorganisms on Fruit Colour Development and Sensory Properties of Papaya (Carica papaya) var. Red Lady

An experiment was conducted in the Department of Agricultural Microbiology and Post-Harvest Technology, COH, Bagalkot, Karnataka during the year 2017-2018 with intention of minimizing the post harvest diseases during storage by using ecofriendly approach that is use of biocontrol agents and their effects on fruit colour development and sensory parameters. A wide range of fungi, bacteria, yeast and actinomycetes can be used as antagonistic microorganisms against post-harvest pathogens in many horticulture produce. In the present experiment, five effective antagonistic microorganisms were assessed for their antifungal activity against Colletotrichum gleosporiodies, the causal agent of post-harvest Anthracnose disease of papaya fruits and fortheir effects on fruit development and sensory properties of papaya var. Red Lady. In the present experiment the papaya fruits treated with biocontrol agents and observed that, the papaya fruits treated with BCA5-Isolate No.10(T5) exhibited higher L*(56.53), a*(12.33), b*(43.60) colour values, higher carotene value (1.85 mg/100 g), total sugar content (11.6%) and good sensory scores for colour (8073), taste (8.6) and textue (9.03) at 9 days after storage under ambient storage condition followed by BCA-Isolate No.09(T4) and carbendazium at 0.1% for 5 min (T7). Treated on inoculated papaya fruits with C. gloeosporioides, T5 (BCA5 -Isolate No. 10) recorded higher L*(55.67), a*(11.61), b*(41.78) colour values, higher carotene value (1.42 mg/100 g), total sugar content (10.4%) and good sensory scores for colour (8.3), taste (8.13) and textue (8.73) at 9 days after storage under ambient storage condition followed by BCA4 -Isolate No.9 (T4) and carbendazium at 0.1% (T7). These two isolates identified in this experiment can be effectively used alternative to chemicals against anthracnose which were effective in fruit colour development and sensory parameters.