Antifungal Potentialities of Chitosan and Trichoderma in Controlling Botrytis cinerea, Causing Strawberry Gray Mold Disease

Strawberry gray mold disease caused by Botrytis cinerea (Pers.) is one of the most critical diseases attacking strawberry fruits especially at the post-harvest stage. This study compared the effectiveness of two types of Chitosan, bioagent’s filtrates and fungicides in controlling the gray mold of strawberry. The commercial and synthesized in vitro Chitosan were tested on radial growth of B.cinerea on PDA agar plates and on infected four fruits cultivars strawberry. The results showed that the two types of Chitosan were significantly decreased infection of B. cinerea especially on un-wounded fruits that have been treated by dipping method. Biological control agents were used as culture filtrates for control strawberry gray mold pathogen both on wounded and unwounded fruits, the disease incidence was inhibited significantly in comparing to control treatment. Chemical fungicides were also used in these trials for controlling the gray mold disease. The results obtained confirm the superiority of fungicides in controlling the disease in comparing the commercial and synthesized Chitosan well as biocontrol agents.