Endophytic Bacillus atrophaeus CHGP13 and salicylic acid inhibit blue mold of lemon by regulating defense enzymes

Lemons (<i>Citrus limon</i> L.) are one of the most economically important and consumed fruit worldwide. The species is vulnerable to several postharvest decay pathogens, of which <i>Penicillium italicum</i> associated with blue mold disease is the most damaging. This study investigates the use of integrated management for blue mold of lemon using lipopeptides (LPs) extracted from endophytic <i>Bacillus</i> strains and resistance inducers. Two resistance inducers; salicylic acid (SA) and benzoic acid (BA) were tested at 2, 3, 4, and 5 mM concentrations against the development of blue mold on lemon fruit. The 5 mM SA treatment produced the lowest disease incidence (60%) and lesion diameter (1.4 cm) of blue mold on lemon fruit relative to the control. In an <i>in vitro</i> antagonism assay eighteen <i>Bacillus</i> strains were evaluated for their direct antifungal effect against <i>P. italicum</i>; CHGP13 and CHGP17 had the greatest inhibition zones of 2.30 and 2.14 cm. Lipopeptides (LPs) extracted from CHGP13 and CHGP17 also inhibited the colony growth of <i>P. italicum</i>. LPs extracted from CHGP13 and 5 mM SA were tested as single and combined treatments against disease incidence and lesion diameter of blue mold on lemon fruit. SA + CHGP13 + PI had the lowest disease incidence (30%) and lesion diameter (0.4 cm) of <i>P. italicum</i> on lemon fruit relative to the other treatments. Furthermore, the lemon fruit treated with SA + CHGP13 + PI had the highest PPO, POD, and PAL activities. The postharvest quality analysis of the lemon fruit including fruit firmness, total soluble solids, weight loss, titratable acidity, and ascorbic acid content revealed that the treatment SA + CHGP13 + PI had little effect on fruit quality compared to the healthy control. These findings indicate that <i>Bacillus</i> strains and resistance inducers can be used as components of integrated disease management for the blue mold of lemon.