The objective of this study was to determine the tolerance of 'Prata-Anã' (AAB) banana (Musa spp.) fruits and of Colletotrichum musae to thermotherapy in postharvest rot control. In vivo and in vitro experiments were installed in a completely randomized design, arranged in a 4x5 factorial scheme (temperature x time immersion). Treatments were the immersion of fruits and fungus (spores and mycelium) in water heated at 47, 50, 53 and 56 ºC from 0, 3, 6, 9 and 12 min. The exposure of fruits at 56 ºC for 9 min caused blackening in fruit extremities. Chemical and physical fruit characteristics were not changed by treatments. Inoculated and treated fruits at 56 ºC during 6 min did not show rot and peel blackening, while non-treated fruits have shown 64% of lesions/fruit. From the combinations 53 ºC / 9 min and 56 ºC / 3 min, spore germination was reduced to 4% e 0% respectively. The combination 56 ºC / 12 min retarded but did not stop mycelial growth. Treatments 56 ºC / 6 min did not stop mycelial growth in vitro, but was effective in vivo rot control. This treatment avoided rot manifestation in the winter (May) but did not in the summer (November), being influenced by environmental conditions near to bunch harvest. Thermotherapy can be recommended for banana postharvest rot control adapted to different seasons of the year.
Colletotrichum musae; anthracnose; latent infecction
