Abstract
Powdery mildew, caused by Sphaerotheca sp., annually causes severe losses in yield and quality in Rosa roxburghii production areas of southwest China. In this study, the role of the co-application of allicin and chitosan in the resistance of R. roxburghii against powdery mildew and its effects on growth, yield and quality of R. roxburghii were investigated. The laboratory toxicity test results show that allicin exhibited a superior antifungal activity against Sphaerotheca sp. with EC50 value of 148.65 mg kg−1. In the field, the foliar application of allicin could effectively enhance chitosan against powdery mildew with control efficacy of 85.97% by spraying 5% allicin microemulsion (ME) 100–time liquid + chitosan 100–time liquid, which was significantly (p < 0.01) higher than 76.70% of allicin, 70.93% of chitosan and 60.23% of polyoxin. The co-application of allicin and chitosan effectively enhanced the photosynthetic rate and chlorophyll of R. roxburghii compared with allicin, chitosan or polyoxin alone. Moreover, allicin used together with chitosan was more effective than allicin or chitosan alone in enhancing R. roxburghii plant growth and fruit yield as well as improving R. roxburghii fruit quality. This work highlights that the co-application of allicin and chitosan can be used as a green, cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative strategy to conventional antibiotics for controlling powdery mildew of R. roxburghii.
Highlights
Rosa roxburghii Tratt., an edible and medicinal fruit rich in vitamin C, flavonoids, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and various minerals, has high medicinal and nutritional values [1,2,3,4,5]
The 5% allicin ME treatment exhibited an outstanding toxicity against Sphaerotheca sp. of R. roxburghii with EC50 value of 148.65 mg kg−1, which was higher by 2.80- 1.24- and 6.95-fold than chitosan, 3% polyoxin wettable powder (WP) and 6% kasugamycin WP, respectively
The results here indicate that allicin possessed a superior antimicrobial activity compared to conventional antibiotics including polyoxin and kasugamycin
Summary
Rosa roxburghii Tratt., an edible and medicinal fruit rich in vitamin C, flavonoids, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and various minerals, has high medicinal and nutritional values [1,2,3,4,5]. In Guizhou Province of southwest China, powdery mildew seriously affects the growth, yield, and quality of R. roxburghii, and often causes 30~40% economic losses [7]. Some chemical fungicides (triadimefon, myclobutanil, azoxystrobin and tebuconazole) [8] and conventional antibiotics (polyoxin and kasugamycin) [9] are frequently used to control powdery mildew, their residuals inevitably affect the environment, wildlife, and human beings [10]. These chemicals and antibiotics generate resistance to pathogens with the increase in the use frequency [11,12]. There is an urgent need to develop an alternative, cost-effective and environmentally friendly control strategy against powdery mildew of R. roxburghii
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