Daphna Blachinsky, Jana Antonov, Amir Bercovitz, Beni El-ad, Katia Feldman, Alice Husid, Michael Lazare, Nataly Marcov, Idan Shamai, Mordechai Keren-Zur

Shemer is a biofungicide based on the yeast Metschnikowia fructicola. The mode of action
of this yeast is believed to be mainly through competition, with no involvement of antibiotics or toxins
thus creating a minimal impact on the environment. The commercial product (water dispersible
granules) is stable under ambient storage conditions, and can be applied through spray or drench
application systems in the field or in packing-houses. Shemer treatments in commercial packinghouses
significantly reduced the development of Botrytis cinerea on pepper and tomatoes, and of
Rhizopus stolonifer on sweet potatoes and peaches. Application of Shemer in the field proved useful
also in post-harvest protection of fruits like raspberry, in which post-harvest treatments are not
practiced. These results demonstrate the suitability of Shemer for a wide range of crop-pathogen
situations, agricultural practices and climatic conditions.