Improving disease resistance in peach fruit during storage using benzo-(1,2,3)-thiodiazole-7-carbothioic acid S-methyl ester (BTH)

Abstract

SummaryThe compound benzo-(1, 2, 3)-thiodiazole-7-carbothioic acid S-methyl ester (BTH) effectively induces a systemic acquired resistance (SAR) response in plants and increases plant resistance to disease. To learn how BTH may affect post-harvest quality and disease resistance in peach, (Prunus persica L. cv. ‘Jiubao’) peach fruit were treated with 200 mg l–1 BTH for 5 min immediately after harvest, then incubated for 60 h at 20°C, 85–95% RH. Sixty h after treatment, fruit were inoculated with spore suspensions of Penicillium expansum at 1.2 104 CFU ml–1. The incidence of disease and lesion areas on peach fruit were significantly reduced by BTH-treatment (P < 0.05). In addition, chitinase and -1,3-glucanase activities in peach fruit were significantly enhanced by BTH-treatment (P < 0.05). Moreover, the total levels of phenolic compounds and chlorogenic acid, and the lignin content of BTH-treated fruit were significant higher than in control fruit (P < 0.05). The effects of BTH on fruit quality were also analysed. Soluble solids content, soluble pectin, titratable acidity and ascorbic acid levels in peach fruit were not significantly affected by treatment with BTH. Our results suggest that the application of BTH may control post-harvest diseases in peach fruit during commercial production.