Improvement in imazalil treatments in commercial packinglines to control green mold on lemon fruit

• IS laboratory dip applications were more effective and persistent than those of IEC.
• IS in commercial trials was more effective than IEC and residues were below the MRL.
• IS applied in water non-recovery sprays followed by IEC in wax is recommended.
• It is the first report of IS use in Argentina, world leader in lemon production.

Long distance to markets limits global competitiveness in lemon fruit production due to fungal postharvest decays, such as green mold caused by Penicillium digitatum. Imazalil, the main fungicide used, is formulated as an emulsifiable concentrate (IEC) and as a water-soluble sulphate salt (IS), the later being less commonly applied in most of the producing countries. The aim of the present report was to improve the effectiveness of imazalil treatments to control green mold in commercial scale. In both laboratory and commercial applications, IS was more effective than IEC. IS formulation applied in water followed by IEC applied in wax is an improved option that provided suitable disease control and optimal residue loading >2.0 mg L−1 without exceeding the maximum residue levels. Additionally, IMZ residues remained at acceptable levels after 28 days at 7 °C, assuring the protection of lemon fruit for long periods of storage and transports.