Abstract
Natural elicitors induce plant resistance against a broad spectrum of diseases, and are currently among the most promising biocontrol tools. The present study focuses on the elicitor properties of the cyclic lipopeptide surfactin on wheat, in order to stimulate the defenses of this major crop against the challenging fungal pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici. The protection efficacy of surfactin extracted from the strain Bacillus amyloliquefaciens S499 was investigated through greenhouse trials. Surfactin protected wheat by 70% against Z. tritici, similarly to the chemical reference elicitor Bion®50WG. In vitro biocidal assays revealed no antifungal activities of surfactin towards the pathogen. A biomolecular RT-qPCR based low-density microarray tool was used to study the relative expression of 23 wheat defense genes. Surfactin significantly induced wheat natural defenses by stimulating both salicylic acid- and jasmonic acid-dependent signaling pathways. Surfactin was successfully tested as an elicitor on the pathosystem wheat–Z. tritici. These results promote further sustainable agricultural practices and the reduction of chemical inputs.
Highlights
Biocontrol is an alternative plant protection method which promotes sustainable agricultural practices and contributes to reducing chemical inputs
This study provides further insight into the remarkable elicitor properties of surfactin by demonstrating its ability to efficaciously protect wheat by up to 70% against the fungal pathogen
It is noteworthy that previous studies on the elicitor potential of surfactin have mostly been dedicated to the protection of dicot plants [13,14,15]
Summary
Biocontrol is an alternative plant protection method which promotes sustainable agricultural practices and contributes to reducing chemical inputs. In particular, are promising biocontrol tools which are currently the subject of intensive research within the framework of integrated pest management (IPM) strategies [1,2,3]. They correspond to natural molecules, generally emitted by pathogens or beneficial microorganisms, which induce a non-specific resistance of the plant against a broad spectrum of diseases [4,5]. Among the numerous natural elicitors which have been identified up to now, major attention is today focused on surfactin. In contrast to elicitor compounds secreted by pathogens (pathogenic-associated molecular patterns or PAMPs), surfactin is a microbe-associated
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