From Orchard to Storage: Latent Infections, Postharvest Rots, and Sustainable Control Strategies in Fruit Crops

Postharvest losses caused by fungal and oomycete pathogens remain a major constraint for fruit production worldwide. In many cropping systems, infections begin in the orchard and remain latent or quiescent until fruit ripening, harvest, handling, transport, or storage, when symptoms become evident and disease rapidly develops. This field-to-storage continuity makes disease management particularly challenging, as effective control requires a better understanding of infection timing, pathogen biology, host susceptibility, and environmental factors affecting symptom expression. At the same time, increasing restrictions on conventional pesticides and growing demand for safer and more sustainable production systems are driving the search for alternative strategies. These include biological control agents, natural compounds, bio-based products, and new technological approaches that can reduce decay while preserving fruit quality and limiting environmental impact.This Research Topic aims to gather contributions that improve our understanding of latent and quiescent infections and their role in postharvest disease development in fruit crops. It seeks to connect fundamental knowledge on pathogen biology, infection processes, and disease expression with applied research on sustainable control. Particular attention will be given to studies addressing the efficacy and modes of action of biological control agents, natural compounds, and other bio-based or technological strategies for disease management from orchard to storage. By bringing together mechanistic and application-oriented studies across different commodities, this Topic aims to support the development of more effective and sustainable approaches to reduce postharvest losses.This Research Topic focuses on fungal and oomycete diseases affecting crops in the orchard and during the storage. In particular, latent and quiescent infections starting from the field and expressed during harvest, handling, and storage will be considered. We welcome contributions on pathogens biology and infection processes across different commodities. A core emphasis is placed on sustainable control strategies, including biological control agents (BCAs), bio-based products and new technological strategies. Studies addressing modes of action and efficacy of BCAs and natural compounds are encouraged, including the role of secondary metabolites involved in antagonism. The Topic aims to connect mechanistic evidence with applied approaches to reduce postharvest losses.We welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:• Biology and epidemiology of latent and quiescent infections in fruit crops;• Infection processes and disease expression from orchard to harvest, handling, transport, and storage;• Host susceptibility and environmental factors affecting symptom expression and postharvest disease development;• Biology of fungal and oomycete pathogens and their infection processes across different fruit commodities;• Sustainable control strategies, including biological control agents, natural compounds, bio-based products, and technological approaches;• Modes of action and efficacy of biological control agents and natural compounds, including the role of secondary metabolites in antagonism. Topic editors: Mario Riolo, Alessandra Di Francesco, Carlos Agusti Brisach Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/79296/from-orchard-to-storage-latent-infections-postharvest-rots-and-sustainable-control-strategies-in-fruit-crops