Thiabendazole Control of Postharvest Apple Decay1

Abstract 2-(4-Thiazolyl) benzimidazole (thiabendazole or TBZ) applied as a postharvest treatment (1000-2000 ppm) significantly reduced decay of apples: intact (not skin punctured); skin punctured before or after TBZ treatment; mechanically harvested; waxed after TBZ treatment. TBZ was active against Penicillium expansum, Botrytis sp., but not Alternaria sp. New skin punctures were more susceptible to infection than old punctures.