A method for detecting the spoilage microbe Mycocentrospora acerina in carrot production for industry.

摘要

Carrot is the most important root vegetable in Finland. Today, consumers increasingly like to buy fresh ready-to-use products, such as washed and sliced carrots. In an ongoing project, we are developing methods that will enable growers to produce high-quality carrots. A test method is being developed for detecting the most harmful carrot-spoilage microbe in Finland, Mycocentrospora acerina, originating from the soil and using carrot as well as many common weeds as a host. Because of the short growing season in Finland, carrots are harvested in September-October and stored for several months over winter. A long storage period provides an opportunity for the spoilage microbes to damage the stored carrots. Furthermore, no fungicides against M. acerina are available currently. In an earlier study, a simple system was developed for examining the amount of M. acerina in soil samples by using carrot slices as trapping tissue. The present study aims at further developing the test system to be used by growers. The results of the present study will be useful for the growers and the vegetable processing industry alike. CT XXVIII International Horticultural Congress on Science and Horticulture for People (IHC2010): International Symposium on Postharvest Technology in the Global Market, Lisbon, Portugal.