The aim of the present work is determining the distribution of mycoflora present in several areas which is resistant to the fungicides thiabendazole, benomyl and imazalil, in five apple packinghouses in Lleida province (Spain). The following four areas were studied: reception zone, passages, manual selection zone and cold storage rooms.
The most of fungicide resistant strains belonged to Penicillium genus (96.7%). The 4.7% of them were classified as P. expansum. Of all P. expansum strains tested, the ones that were resistant to thiabendazole and benomyl were controlled by imazalil. The resistant strains showed capacity to decay the pome fruit tissue when inoculated on apples. The potential capacity for patulin production was detected in 60.7% of the strains.
None of the Penicillium strains resistant to imazalil was identified as P. expansum. Pome fruit tissue was decayed by 89% of the strains assayed. None of the Penicillium strains resistant to imazalil showed capacity to produce patulin.