Use of elicitors and fungicides for the postharvest management of Monilinia fructicola in peach

Isabel Nativitas-Lima,José Isabel Cortés-Flores,Crescenciano Saucedo-Veloz,Guillermo Calderón-Zavala,María Teresa Beryl Colinas-León,Santos Gerardo Leyva-Mir

doi:10.1590/0100-29452021747

Isabel Nativitas-Lima, José Isabel Cortés-Flores + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/0100-29452021747

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Abstract

Abstract The aim of this research was to study the effect of two factors: elicitors and fungicide doses. The experiment was conducted in 2017 and 2018. The treatments were applied in four randomized complete blocks with six peach trees as the experimental unit. The effectiveness of treatments was evaluated after harvest so that fruits were inoculated with Monilinia fructicola and lesion diameter measurements were performed to evaluate the area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) and determine the rate of increase. The content of total phenols and the activity of peroxidase, polyphenoloxidase, catalase and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase enzymes were evaluated. The results showed that applications of potassium phosphite combined with full fungicide doses reduced AUDPC of Monilinia fructicola by 47% compared with the control (no elicitor, no fungicide). The content of phenols and the enzymatic activity increased with the application of elicitors. Pre-harvest application of elicitors is a viable option for the postharvest management of Monilinia fructicola.

Highlights

IntroductionBrown rot caused by Monilinia spp. is one of the most destructive diseases in peach
Materials and methodsBrown rot caused by Monilinia spp. is one of the most destructive diseases in peach
The results showed that applications of potassium phosphite combined with full fungicide doses reduced area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) of Monilinia fructicola by 47% compared with the control, and when elicitor and fungicide were applied separately, reduction was 13 and 15.5%, respectively (Figure 1A)

Summary

Introduction

Brown rot caused by Monilinia spp. is one of the most destructive diseases in peach. Under favorable conditions for the pathogen, the incidence of the disease reaches 80%, especially in orchards with late harvesting varieties (EGÜEN et al, 2015), with annual worldwide losses of 1.7 billion euros (MARTINI; MARI, 2014). The main factors causing losses by Monilinia spp. are susceptibility to infection from flowering to postharvest, climatic factors, appearance of fungicide-resistant strains and the scarce availability of resistant varieties (OLIVEIRA et al, 2016). Management alternatives are sought that provide adequate control and are friendly to the environment. One of these alternatives is to activate the defense mechanisms of the plant known as systemic acquired resistance (SAR), which can be achieved through the application of elicitors. Elicitors activate signal transduction pathways that generally lead to the production of reactive oxygen species, phytoalexin biosynthesis, reinforcement of the plant cell wall associated with phenylpropanoid compounds, callose deposition, synthesis of defense enzymes (peroxidase, polyphenoloxidase, catalase, superoxide dismutase, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, etc.) and accumulation of proteins related to pathogenesis (PR) with antimicrobial properties (THAKUR; SOHAL, 2013)

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