Preharvest application of Bacillus velezensis 12Y improves strawberry fruit quality and storability

Bacillus velezensis can effectively control plant diseases, but its impact on the entire strawberry supply chain has not been fully elucidated. In this study, B. velezensis 12Y was applied to the strawberry rhizosphere, and the agronomic traits before harvest, fruit quality at harvest and fruit storage stability after harvest were determined. The results showed that B. velezensis 12Y could control preharvest diseases with an efficacy of 78.4 %. At harvest, B. velezensis 12Y significantly improved the quality of fruits and enriched the potential biocontrol microbes, including Cryptococcus, Rhodotorula, Sphingomonas, etc. During storage, the decay index of strawberries was reduced by 30.3 % at 4 d. The storage quality, antioxidant activity of fruits were enhanced and shelf life of fruits were extended, thus maintaining the freshness of fruits. This study provided a basis for the use of beneficial microbes with dual effects of plant protection.