The widespread use of conventional pesticides for plant pathogen control poses significant risks to human health and the environment, and it is therefore crucial to develop environmentally friendly, human-safe alternatives to these products that offer a sustainable approach for crop protection. Here, we examined the potential of ethanolic extracts from four forest tree species for their antibacterial activity against the bacterial pathogenPseudomonas syringaepv.tomato (Pst) and their ability to trigger effective defense responses in the model plantArabidopsis thaliana. The extracts exhibited direct toxic effects against Pst and triggered the expression of defense-related genes naturally induced by oxidative stress cues or the defense elicitor salicylic acid in leaf tissue. The direct antibacterial effects of the tree extracts, together with their defense gene-inducing effectsin planta, resulted in a strong host plant-protecting effect againstPst. These findings suggest the eventual effectiveness of forest tree extracts as plant protectants against the bacterial pathogenPst. They also suggest the potential of these extracts as a sustainable, eco-friendly alternative to conventional pesticides for the management of economically important plant pathogens.
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