Abstract
Postharvest diseases of potato lead to significant food and economic losses worldwide. The exogenous application of eco-friendly methods plays an important role in the control of postharvest decay. In this work the effects of endophytic bacteria B. subtilis (10-4, 26D) were studied in the context of two application parameters: concentration, with a range between 103–108 CFU/mL tested, and synergistic effects of the signal molecule salicylic acid (SA) (0.05 mM) on potato tubers’ resistance to Phytophthora infestans and Fusarium oxysporum during storage. The experiments were carried out on hydroponically grown potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) mini-tubers. This study demonstrates the suppressive effect of B. subtilis (10-4, 26D) on diseases of potato during storage and reveals that this effect happens in a dose-dependent manner, both individually and in combination with SA. The most effective concentrations of B. subtilis for suppression of both Ph. infestans and F. oxysporum are 108 CFU/mL (10-4 and 26D), 107 CFU/mL (10-4 + SA) and 106 CFU/mL (26D + SA). The ability of B. subtilis (10-4, 26D) to effectively penetrate and colonize the internal tubers’ tissues when applied immediately prior to storage, and the ability of SA to accelerate these processes, have been proven. B. subtilis (10-4, 26D), individually and in compositions with SA, increased ascorbic acid content and decreased pathogen-induced proline accumulation and lipid peroxidation in tubers. This indicates a protective effect conferred to cells against reactive oxygen and an extension of aging processes, manifested by a prolonged shelf life and extended preservation of fresh appearance.
Highlights
Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is one of the most valuable crops with great importance in ensuring food security worldwide [1,2]
Infection of tubers with phytopathogenic fungi Ph. infestans and F. oxysporum resulted in typical disease symptom development
Tuber infection with Ph. infestans and F. oxysporum over time led to a gradual increase in lesion symptomatic of late blight and fusarium dry rot which reached 100% by 3–6 months of storage (Figure 1)
Summary
Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is one of the most valuable crops (after wheat, rice, and maize) with great importance in ensuring food security worldwide [1,2]. Potatoes are an excellent source of nutrients and vitamins, but their year-round availability depends on storage at an industrial scale, Plants 2020, 9, 76; doi:10.3390/plants9010076 www.mdpi.com/journal/plants. Losses (up to 50–60%) of potatoes from postharvest diseases can occur at any time during storage, from harvesting to consumption, and are one of the most acute problems of modern agriculture and the food industry on the whole planet [4]. Most of the losses that occur during storage are due to infestation by such harmful phytopathogenic fungi as Phytophthora infestans (causal agent of late blight) [5,6] and Fusarium oxysporum (causal agent of fusarium wilt and dry rot) [7]. Ph. infestans is considered to be the most significant potato pathogen worldwide [4] and was responsible for the
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