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Effect of Intermittent Warming and Modified Atmosphere Packaging on Fungal Growth in Peaches

Firm-breaker peaches (Prunus persica cv. Paraguayo), treated with 0.25 g liter^-1 iprodione, were inoculated with 10⁶ spores per ml of Alternaria tenuis and stored for up to 3 weeks at 0.5°C. Three intermittent warming (IW) cycles of 1 day at 20°C every 6 days at 0.5°C and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) were applied. Fungicide treatment was ineffective in controlling growth of A. tenuis and Cladosporium spp. during storage. MAP prevented the growth of both fungal genera. IW alone or combined with fungicide seemed to increase total CFU counts and did not control decay (mainly due to exacerbated Cladosporium spp. development). CFU counts and losses through fungal attack were only occasionally significantly correlated.