Identification, characterization and mycotoxigenic ability of Alternaria spp. causing core rot of apple fruit in Greece.

Alternaria core rot is a major postharvest disease of apple fruit in several countries of the world, including Greece. The study was conducted aiming to identify the disease causal agents at species level, investigate the aggressiveness of Alternaria spp. isolates and the susceptibility of different apple varieties and determine the mycotoxigenic potential of Alternaria spp.

Molecular characterization, fitness and mycotoxin production of benzimidazole-resistant isolates of Penicillium expansum.

Penicillium expansum field-strains resistant to benzimidazole fungicides were isolated in high frequency from decayed apple fruit collected from packinghouses and processing industries located in the region of Imathia, N. Greece. In vitro fungitoxicity tests resulted in the identification of two different resistant phenotypes: highly (BEN-HR) and moderately (BEN-MR) carbendazim-resistant.

Sensitivity of Penicillium expansum field isolates to tebuconazole, iprodione, fludioxonil and cyprodinil and characterization of fitness parameters and patulin production.

A total of 236 Penicillium expansum field isolates from decayed apple fruit collected from packinghouses and processing industries located in the region of Imathia, Northern Greece were tested for their sensitivity to tebuconazole, fludioxonil, iprodione and cyprodinil. Preliminary fungitoxicity tests on the response of the isolates showed several phenotypes, distinguished according to their sensitivity to fungicides tested. The EC(50) values ranged from 0.