| Summary: | This study investigates the potential of epiphytic bacteria isolated from citrus fruits to control green mold post-harvest disease caused by <i>Penicillium digitatum</i> in Thompson Navel sweet oranges in the north of Iran. Twenty-three epiphytic bacteria were isolated and screened in vitro against <i>P. digitatum</i>, and 13 isolates with antagonistic activity were selected for further studies. Isolates B15 (<i>Bacillus</i> sp.), P17 (<i>Pseudomonas</i> sp.), and S13 (<i>Streptomyces</i> sp.) exhibited the most effective inhibitory effects on <i>P. digitatum</i> in vitro and in vivo. Among these, B15 showed the highest percentage of mycelium growth reduction and was further identified as <i>B. cereus</i> by 16S rRNA sequence analysis. Metabolic analysis of <i>Bacillus</i> sp. isolate B15 extract revealed the presence of the inhibiting antifungal substance Iturin A. The result showed that the application of epiphytic <i>B. cereus</i> decreased the percentage of green mold post-harvest diseases in orange fruit. This indicates their potential as an environmentally friendly alternative to chemical post-harvest control of orange diseases caused by <i>P. digitatum</i>.
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