Postharvest sodium silicate treatments control Alternaria rot and its effect on the quality of apricot fruit

Effect of sodium silicate treatment on Alternaria rot and the qualities of apricot fruit(cv.Lixing) was studied.The results showed that sodium silicate significantly inhibited mycelial growth of Alternaria alternata in vitro,the maximum inhibition was found by the treatment at 25mmol/L,and inhibition rate reached 72.73%.Lesion diameter of fruit inoculated with A.alternata after 24h of treatment was significantly decreased by sodium silicate at 50mmol/L,with 22% lower than the control,and inhibiting efficacy lasted 96h in the treated fruit.Sodium silicate at 50mmol/L also delayed the decrease of firmness and maintained a higher content of titratable acid and VC.However,no significant difference was found in total soluble solids content between the treated and the control.It was suggested that postharvest sodium silicate treatments reduced Alternaria rot of apricot fruits by inhibiting directly growth of pathogen and inducing resistance,and maintain quality in some degrees.