Potassium silicate and chitosan application for gray mold management in strawberry during storage

• Strawberry fruits dipped in chitosan showed a lower incidence of gray mold.
• Potassium silicate was not effective in controlling gray mold in strawberry fruits.
• Chitosan application is a promising strategy for management of gray mold in strawberry.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of silicon and chitosan as alternative controls for postharvest rot of strawberries (gray mold) caused by Botrytis cinerea. Chitosan and potassium silicate applications were performed at the preharvest stage using the following treatments: chitosan once a week; potassium silicate once a week; potassium silicate once a week + chitosan once a week; and without application. An additional variable was introduced at postharvest, with one-half of the total fruit harvested from each plot dipped in chitosan and the other half not dipped in chitosan. Potassium silicate alone was not effective for rot control. Fruits from plants that received the chitosan application showed 64% less area under the rot progress curve (AURPC) than fruits from plants that were not treated with chitosan. Harvested fruits that were chitosan dipped showed 48% less AURPC than fruits that were not treated at postharvest. Chitosan application in the field and at postharvest is a promising strategy for the management of postharvest strawberry rot.