Bill, MalickGokul, Jarishma KeriusciaViljoen, FrancoisKorsten, Lise2023-05-052022-09Bill, M., Gokul, J.K., Viljoen, F. & Korsten, L. (2022) Fungal microbiome shifts on avocado fruit associated with a combination of postharvest chemical and physical interventions. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 133, 1905–1918. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/jam.15693.1364-5072 (print)1365-2672 (online)10.1111/jam.15693http://hdl.handle.net/2263/90562AIM OF THE STUDY : The aim was to characterize the baseline microbial population of the avocado carposphere and understand shifts in community structure from the harvest to ready-to-eat stages. METHODS AND RESULTS : The changes in surface or stem-end (SE) fungal microbiomes at the postharvest stage of avocado fruit were studied using next-generation sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer region. Avocado fructoplane and SE pulp fungal richness differed significantly between postharvest stages with a decline following prochloraz dip treatments. Known postharvest decay-causing genera, Colletotrichum, Fusarium, Alternaria, Epicoccum, Penicillium and Neofusicoccum were detected, with Papiliotrema, Meyerozyma and Aureobasidium confirmed as the most dominant potentially beneficial genera. Postharvest interventions such as prochloraz had a negative non-target effect on the presence of Papiliotrema flavescens on the avocado fructoplane. CONCLUSION : Our findings reveal a core community of beneficial and pathogenic taxa in the avocado fructoplane and further highlight the reduction of pathogenic fungi as a consequence of fungicide use. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY : The current study provides important baseline data for further exploration of fungal population shifts in avocado fruit driven by chemical (fungicide) as well as physical (cold storage) interventions.en© 2022 The Society for Applied Microbiology. This is the pre-peer reviewed version of the following article : Fungal microbiome shifts on avocado fruit associated with a combination of postharvest chemical and physical interventions. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 133, 1905–1918. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/jam.15693. The definite version is available at : http://wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/jam.Non-target fungicidal effectPathogenic and beneficial fungiPlant microbiomePostharvest treatmentStem-end pulpArticle