Pg. 78-80 The effect of multiple phosphonate applications on post-harvest decay development of litchi fruit

The effect of two phosphonate formulations on post-harvest fruit decay, applied pre-harvest as foliar or as a soil drench application on cv. HML Mauritius, was determined. Programs were applied at three different pre-harvest intervals. After harvest fruit were subjected to simulated post-harvest export storage. Evaluation of fruit revealed that pre-harvest foliar or soil drench applications of Phytex or Brilliant significantly reduced post-harvest decay, compared to the untreated control. The initial evaluation done three days after removal from export simulated conditions, showed that foliar Phytex or Brilliant applications gave better control of post-harvest decay, compared to soil drench applications. However, evaluations done five and seven days after removal from export simulated conditions showed no significant differences between application methods regarding post-harvest decay control.