Laboratory effect of Boni Protect containing Aureobasidium pullulans (de Bary) Arnoud in the control of some fungal diseases of apple fruit

The efficacy of Aureobasidium pullulans (in the biopreparation Boni Protect) against different pathogens of apples (Botrytis cinerea, Monilinia fructigena, Penicillium expansum, and Pezicula malicorticis) was evaluated under laboratory con- ditions. The biocontrol product was applied at concentrations of 0.05%, 0.1%, and 0.5%. Fruits of apple cultivars 'Jonagold Decosta' and 'Pinova' were used. Boni Protect was very effective against B. cinerea on cv. 'Jonagold Decosta', reducing disease incidence by 55–83.8%. On 'Pinova' apples, this biological control product was the most efficient at earlier stages of the experiment. It inhibited grey mold by 65% after 5 days from inoculation and only by 14% after 20 days. On cv. 'Jonagold Decosta', Boni Protect at a concentration of 0.1% was also effective against M. fructigena, reducing brown rot by 31.4–74.5%, but its efficiency on cv. 'Pinova' was not significant. Blue mold caused by P. expansum was inhibited only slightly by the biocontrol product, while P. malicorticis proved to be the most resistant to its antagonistic abilities