Fruit Pathogens Research Articles

Treatment with Glyphosate Induces Tolerance of Citrus Pathogens to Glyphosate and Fungicides but Not to 1,8-Cineole.

During the postharvest period, citrus fruits are exposed to Penicillium italicum, Penicillium digitatum, and Geotrichum candidum. Pesticides such as imazalil (IMZ), thiabendazole (TBZ), orthophenylphenol (OPP), and guazatine (GUA) are commonly used as antifungals. Glyphosate (GP) is also used in citrus fields to eliminate weed growth. The sensitivity of fungal pathogens of citrus fruit to these pesticides and 1,8-cineole was evaluated, and the effect of GP on the development of cross-resistance to other chemicals was monitored over a period of 3 weeks. IMZ most effectively inhibited the mycelial growth and spore germination of P. digitatum and P. italicum, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 0.01 and 0.05 mg/mL, respectively, followed by 1,8-cineole, GP, and TBZ. 1,8-Cineole and GP more effectively inhibited the mycelial growth and spore germination of G. candidum, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 0.2 and 1.0 mg/mL, respectively, than OPP or GUA. For the spore germination assay, all substances tested showed a total inhibitory effect. Subculturing the fungal strains in culture media containing increasing concentrations of GP induced fungal tolerance to GP as well as to the fungicides. In soil, experiments confirmed that GP induced the tolerance of P. digitatum to TBZ and GP and the tolerance of P. italicum to IMZ, TBZ, and GP. However, no tolerance was recorded against 1,8-cineole. In conclusion, it can be said that 1,8-cineole may be recommended as an alternative to conventional fungicides. In addition, these results indicate that caution should be taken when using GP in citrus fields.

Antifungal features and properties of Pickering emulsion coating from alginate/lemongrass oil/cellulose nanofibers

SummaryThis study investigated the antifungal features of sodium alginate (Alg) 1% combined with lemongrass essential oil (LGO) 0.25%, 0.5% and 0.75% as a Pickering emulsion coating to control Penicillium digitatum and P. italicum, identified as citrus fruit pathogens. Cellulose nanofibers 0.24%, 42.55 ± 9.34 nm, were selected as a stabiliser. Confocal laser scanning microscopy and Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy were used to analyse the droplet size and morphology and chemical interaction of emulsified coating, respectively. The effective dosage of lemongrass oil (0.75%) may enhance the antifungal action confirmed with a series of in vitro tests on spore germination by 88.28% (P. digitatum) and 91.94% (P. italicum), germ tube elongation by 89.28% (P. digitatum) and 90.13% (P. italicum) and membrane integrity by 41.67% (P. digitatum) and 63% (P. italicum). Additionally, the incorporation of LGO Pickering emulsion improved the beneficial properties of Alg‐based coating film, including light transmission at UV and visible light wavelengths and hydrophobicity. Scanning electron microscopy was performed to evaluate the interior microstructure of the coating film. Pickering emulsion‐based coatings described in this study may have potential applications for active packaging, particularly for citrus fruit commodities.

English

This study was conducted to examine microbiological quality and antibiotic susceptibility of bacterial pathogen of ready to eat sliced pineapple and water melon. Pineapples and water melon were purchased from three different vendors in Sango, University of Ibadan and Apete markets. Isolation and identification of pathogens were carried out using culture dependent method, morphological and biochemical characterization, respectively. Bacterial isolates were tested for antibiotic susceptibility. Results showed that all samples were contaminated. Lactobacillus species had the highest percentage frequency of occurrence (35%), while Proteus, Pseudomonas, Shigella and Salmonella species had the least (5%). Multiple drug resistances were observed among the isolates when subjected to Ampicillin, Ceftazidine, Cefuroxine, and Augumentin. Despite the dominance of Lactobacillus spp. in this study, the presence of Escherichia coli, Shigella spp., and Salmonella spp., Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumonia and Enterobacter species together with their multiple drug resistance call for public health attention. Quality of vended fruits will be better assured if there are improved hygienic practices and awareness among fruit vendors as well as the consumers. There is need to monitor the spread of multiple drug resistant antimicrobial pathogens in vended fruits to avoid outbreaks.   Key words: Microbiological quality, antibiotic susceptibility, multiple drug resistance ready to eat, pineapple, water melon.

Phylogenetic divergences in brown rot fungal pathogens of Monilinia species from a worldwide collection: inferences based on the nuclear versus mitochondrial genes

BackgroundPhylogenetic analyses for plant pathogenic fungi explore many questions on diversities, relationships, origins, and divergences of populations from different sources such as species, host, and geography. This information is highly valuable, especially from a large global sampling, to understand the evolutionary paths of the pathogens worldwide. Monilinia fructicola and M. laxa are two important fungal pathogens of stone fruits that cause the widespread disease commonly known as brown rot. Three nuclear genes (Calmodulin, SDHA, TEF1α) and three mitochondrial genes (Cytochrome_b, NAD2, and NAD5) of the two pathogen species from a worldwide collection including five different countries from four different continents were studied in this work.ResultsBoth Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian approaches were applied to the data sets, and in addition, Maximum Parsimony based approaches were used for the regions having indel polymorphisms. Calmodulin, SDHA, NAD2, and NAD5 regions were found phylogenetically informative and utilized for phylogenetics of Monilinia species for the first time. Each gene region presented a set of haplotypes except Cytochrome_b, which was monomorphic. According to this large collection of two Monilinia species around the world, M. fructicola showed more diversity than M. laxa, a result that should be carefully considered, as M. fructicola is known to be a quarantine pathogen. Moreover, the other two mitochondrial genes (NAD2 and NAD5) did not have any substitution type mutations but presented an intron indel polymorphism indicating the contribution of introns as well as mobile introns to the fungal diversity and evolution. Based on the concatenated gene sets, nuclear DNA carries higher mutations and uncovers more phylogenetic clusters in comparison to the mitochondrial DNA-based data for these fungal species.ConclusionsThis study provides the most comprehensive knowledge on the phylogenetics of both nuclear and mitochondrial genes of two prominent brown rot pathogens, M. fructicola and M. laxa. Based on the regions used in this study, the nuclear genes resolved phylogenetic branching better than the mitochondrial genes and discovered new phylogenetic lineages for these species.

Mycotoxin Production and the Relationship between Microbial Diversity and Mycotoxins in Pyrus bretschneideri Rehd cv. Huangguan Pear.

Mycotoxins are generated by a series of fungal pathogens in postharvest fruit, resulting in serious health threat to consumers and great economic loss to the fruit storage industry. The microbial differences between rotten and healthy fruit during storage and their relationship with mycotoxin production have not been fully studied. In this study, differences in microbial diversity between rotten and healthy fruit after 30 days of storage at ambient temperature were investigated using high-throughput sequencing technology in ‘Huangguan’ pear (Pyrus bretschneideri Rehd cv. Huangguan) harvested from five different producing regions of Hebei province, China. The bacterial genus Gluconobacter was much more abundant in rotten fruit (76.24%) than that in healthy fruit (32.36%). In addition, Komagataeibacter and Acetobacter were also relatively higher in abundance in rotten fruit. In contrast, bacterial genera Pantoea, Alistipes, Muribaculaceae, Lactobacillus, and Ruminococcaceae_UCG were found to be more abundant in healthy fruit. Fungal genera including Botryosphaeria, Colletotrichum, Valsa, Alternaria, Rosellinia, Fusarium, and Trichothecium were found to be abundant in rotten fruit. The results of principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) showed that there were significant differences in the microbial diversity of different regions. PAT (patulin) was detected in all rotten fruit samples, while tenuazonic acid (TeA), alternariol (AOH), and alternariolmonomethyl ether (AME) were only detected in samples collected from one region (Weixian). Canonical correlation analysis (CCA) and Pearson correlation analysis showed that the abundance of Alistipes and Pantoea were negatively correlated with the contents of PAT, suggesting that bacterial genera Alistipes and Pantoea have potential in reducing mycotoxin production in ‘Huangguan’ pear.

The dual nature of Lambertella corni-maris as an apple fruit pathogen and antagonist of Monilinia spp

The dual nature of Lambertella corni-maris as an apple fruit pathogen and antagonist of Monilinia spp

Antifungal activity of chitosan and its combination with the yeast Debaryomyces hansenii F9D for the control of Penicillium expansum in apples and pears stored at low temperatures

Penicillium expansum is an important pathogen of cold-stored fruit, currently controlled by chemical fungicides. In this work chitosan combined with the biocontrol yeast Debaryomyces hansenii F9D was tested as a safer alternative for its control on cold-stored apples and pears. When medium molecular weight chitosan was applied on fruit a reduction of rot incidence of 62% and 53% was achieved in apples and pears. respectively. When chitosan was combined with the yeast, disease reduction was 76% and 90%. The combination of biological control with chitosan appears as a feasible strategy for the control of phytopathogenic fungi.

Contrasting Roles of Ethylene Response Factors in Pathogen Response and Ripening in Fleshy Fruit.

Fleshy fruits are generally hard and unpalatable when unripe; however, as they mature, their quality is transformed by the complex and dynamic genetic and biochemical process of ripening, which affects all cell compartments. Ripening fruits are enriched with nutrients such as acids, sugars, vitamins, attractive volatiles and pigments and develop a pleasant taste and texture and become attractive to eat. Ripening also increases sensitivity to pathogens, and this presents a crucial problem for fruit postharvest transport and storage: how to enhance pathogen resistance while maintaining ripening quality. Fruit development and ripening involve many changes in gene expression regulated by transcription factors (TFs), some of which respond to hormones such as auxin, abscisic acid (ABA) and ethylene. Ethylene response factor (ERF) TFs regulate both fruit ripening and resistance to pathogen stresses. Different ERFs regulate fruit ripening and/or pathogen responses in both fleshy climacteric and non-climacteric fruits and function cooperatively or independently of other TFs. In this review, we summarize the current status of studies on ERFs that regulate fruit ripening and responses to infection by several fungal pathogens, including a systematic ERF transcriptome analysis of fungal grey mould infection of tomato caused by Botrytis cinerea. This deepening understanding of the function of ERFs in fruit ripening and pathogen responses may identify novel approaches for engineering transcriptional regulation to improve fruit quality and pathogen resistance.

Isolation and Characterization of Trichoderma spp. for Antagonistic Activity against Avocado (Persea americana Mill) Fruit Pathogens

In this research, we aimed to isolate and identify native strains of Trichoderma spp. with potential activity against avocado pathogens (Neofusicoccum parvum, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Diaporthe sp., and Phomopsis perseae). Strains of Trichoderma spp. were isolated from roots and soil obtained from avocado orchards from different regions of Mexico. Twenty-five Trichoderma spp. strains were isolated, of which six (TSMICH7, TSMICH8, TRMICH9, TSMICH10, TSMICH15, and TRJAL25) showed greater antagonistic capacity in vitro (>80%) against avocado pathogens. After 96 h, the antagonistic strain undergoes a thickening of hyphae, while the phytopathogen tends to thin, except for Diaporthe sp., which tends to thicken. The characterization of these strains was carried out through morphological observations and the amplification and sequencing of rDNA fragments (ITS regions), as well as the translation elongation factor 1-alpha (Tef 1-α), achieving the identification of Trichoderma harzianum. However, in the in vivo evaluation (applying directly to the avocado fruit), the TSMICH7 strain maintained considerably high effectiveness (>90%) against the four phytopathogens tested, mainly with P. perseae, N. parvum, and Diaporthe sp., increasing the activity of glucanases and chitinases. Therefore, T. harzianum could be used as a biological control agent to inhibit post-harvest pathogens in avocados, thus avoiding significant losses of this fruit of international importance.

Genetic diversity of Prosopis juliflora in the state of Qatar and its valuable use against postharvest pathogen of mango fruits

Mango (Mangifera indica) is the second most internationally traded tropical fruit in the world. The fruit has high nutritional value. Its susceptibility to postharvest diseases and chill injuries increases its storage cost and put stress on exploring natural products that can increase its shelf-life. Our team has previously described Prosopis juliflora water-soluble leaf ethanolic (PJ-WS-LE) extract with fungicidal effectiveness against spoiling fungi. The present study explores P. juliflora genetic diversity in the state of Qatar and the antifungal effectiveness of the leaf extract of plants collected from different locations. The study also evaluates PJ-WS-LE extract efficacy against Alternaria. alternata and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides inoculated in mango samples and the power of the extract as coating material. P. juliflora samples collected from six different locations showed genetic and antimicrobial effectiveness similarities. They showed also similarity to the sequence representing P. juliflora 18S ribosomal RNA partial sequence, accession number JX139107.1 originated from India. PJ-WS-LE extract (8 mg/ml) has 80% efficacy in controlling A. alternata in mango and it lowers C. gloeosporioides disease severity by 53.4%. PJ-WS-LE extract (8 mg/ml) embedded in 1% chitosan maintained mango quality for 5 weeks. In vivo results of PJ-WS-LE extract highlights the potentials of the extract as chemical fungicides replacement.

Induction of Resistance of Antagonistic Bacterium Burkholderia contaminans to Postharvest Botrytis cinerea in Rosa vinifera.

In order to study the problem that grapes are vulnerable to microbial infection and decay during storage, a method based on antagonistic Burkholderia contaminans against postharvest Botrytis cinerea of Rosa vinifera was proposed in this paper. The method tested the resistance induction mechanism of Botrytis cinerea after harvest and determined the fruit decay rate treated by antagonistic Burkholderia contaminans. The results showed that the antagonistic bacterium B-1 had bacteriostatic effect on many common pathogens of fruits and vegetables to a certain extent, and the bacteriostatic range was wide. Among them, the inhibition rate of Fusarium moniliforme was 75.5% and that of Botrytis cinerea was 51.2%. After testing, it can be found that antagonistic bacteria have an inhibitory effect on pathogenic fungi and have an effect on phenylpropane metabolic pathway, reactive oxygen species metabolic pathway, and the activities of other resistance-related enzymes. Through comparison, it can be found that the antagonistic Burkholderia contaminans has a strong antibacterial mechanism against Botrytis cinerea of rose grape after harvest. The fruit treated with antagonistic B Burkholderia B-1 has significantly reduced the decay rate and increased the activity of antibacterial active protein.

Prevalence of antibiotic resistance pathogens in online fresh-cut fruit from Chongqing, China and controlling Enterococcus faecalis by bacteriocin GF-15

Consuming fresh-cut fruits from online platform has become a common lifestyle in China, especially under the background of COVID-2019 pandemic. To investigate microbial safety of online fresh-cut fruits, pathogens were isolated and their antibiotic resistance was characterized. Results showed that Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, Morganella morganii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Klebsiella aerogenes, Klebsiella variicola, Proteus mirabilis, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Microbacterium paraoxydans, and Achromobacter xylosoxidans were isolated from online fresh-cut fruits. These pathogens showed resistance to tetracyclines, aminoglycosides, beta-lactams, quinolones, macrolides, etc. After genome sequencing, antibiotic resistance genes lsa(A), tet(M), aph(3′)-IIc, aac(6′)-Ii, qnrD1, OqxA, bla(CMY), msr(C), sul2, dfrA14, mdf(A), etc. were identified in these pathogens. A novel bacteriocin GF-15 was used to control E. faecalis which occupied the highest abundance in online fresh-cut fruits. MIC values of GF-15 to E. faecalis strains were 8–16 μM. The growth of E. faecalis can be totally inhibited by ≥ 4 × MIC GF-15 treatment. GF-15 had bactericidal mode and damaged cell envelope of E. faecalis. Tracing by FITC labelled GF-15 showed that it located both on cell envelope and in cytoplasm. On cell envelope, GF-15 led to great pore-formation and strong membrane depolarization. After entering cytoplasm, it induced reactive oxygen species production.

Electrolytic Disinfection of Irrigation Water for Intensive Crop Production in Greenhouses as Demonstrated on Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum Mill)

Shortage of water availability and awareness of the need for sustainable resource management have generated a significant increase in the use of recycled water for irrigation and processing of crops and harvest products, respectively. As a result, irrigation systems face the challenge of neutralizing plant pathogens to reduce the risk of their dispersal and the subsequent occurrence of diseases with potentially high economic impacts. We evaluated the efficacy of an innovative electrolytic disinfection system based on potassium hypochlorite (KCLO) to inactivate major pathogens in hydroponically grown tomatoes: Fusarium oxysporum (Synder and Hans), Rizocthonia solani (Kühn), Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) and Pepino mosaic virus (PepMV). The electrolytically derived disinfectant was prepared on-site and added to the recirculating fertigation solution once a week for 60 min in an automated manner using sensor technology at a dosage of 0.5 mg of free chlorine/L (fertigation solution at pH 6.0 ± 0.3 and ORP 780 ± 31 mV). Tomato fruit yield and pathogen dispersal were determined for 16 weeks. At the applied dosage, the disinfectant has been shown to inhibit the spread of plant pathogenic fungi and, remarkably, plant viruses in recirculating fertigation solutions. Phytotoxic effects did not occur.

Antifungal potential of silver and copper nanoparticles against Lasiodiplodia theobromae causing stem-end rot of mango

Fungal species Lasiodiplodia theobromae of family Botryosphaeriaceae is a pathogen causing significant loss of production and quality of mango crop in Vietnam and worldwide. In this study, a fungal strain designed as XB1 was isolated from stem-end rot mango fruits, identified and tested its susceptibility to silver and copper nanoparticles. Strain identification based on biological characteristics and sequence analysis of 5.8S RNA indicated that the isolate XB1 was highly close (99%) to Lasiodiplodia theobromae, therefore named as Lasiodiplodia theobromae XB1. The inhibiting effects of Ag and Cu nanoparticles on the growth of L. theobromae XB1 were investigated at various concentrations. After seven days of plate cultivation, nano-Cu at 2000 ppm and 4000 ppm inhibited the fungal growth by 17.9 % and 52.4 %, respectively. With silver nanoparticles of about 20 nm in size, the effect seemed rather limited. At 400 ppm, the highest inhibition of 80% was observed after 4 days, then the growth fully resumed. However, another preparation, i.e. nano silver AgH of about 7 nm in size, showed significantly stronger inhibition against the fungus. At 20 ppm, AgH inhibited 90% of growth, comparable to 400 ppm of either carbendazim or hexaconazole. At 25 ppm, no growth was observed. The results suggested high potential of copper and silver nanoparticles AgH to replace toxic chemicals in controlling fungal pathogens of mango and other fruits.

More than a Virulence Factor: Patulin Is a Non-Host-Specific Toxin that Inhibits Postharvest Phytopathogens and Requires Efflux for Penicillium Tolerance.

Mycotoxin contamination is a leading cause of food spoilage and waste on a global scale. Patulin, a mycotoxin produced by Penicillium spp. during postharvest pome fruit decay, causes acute and chronic effects in humans, withstands pasteurization, and is not eliminated by fermentation. While much is known about the impact of patulin on human health, there are significant knowledge gaps concerning the effect of patulin during postharvest fruit-pathogen interactions. Application of patulin on six apple cultivars reproduced some blue mold symptoms that were cultivar-independent and dose-dependent. Identical symptoms were also observed in pear and mandarin orange. Six Penicillium isolates exposed to exogenous patulin exhibited delayed germination after 24 h, yetall produced viable colonies in 7 days. However, four common postharvest phytopathogenic fungi were completely inhibited by patulin during conidial germination and growth, suggesting the toxin is important for Penicillium to dominate the postharvest niche. Using clorgyline, a broad-spectrum efflux pump inhibitor, we demonstrated that efflux plays a role in Penicillium auto-resistance to patulin during conidial germination. The work presented here contributes new knowledge of patulin auto-resistance, its mode of action, and inhibitory role in fungal-fungal interactions. Our findings provide a solid foundation to develop toxin and decay mitigation approaches.

Diversity of Botryosphaeriaceae and Diaporthe Species Associated withPostharvest Apple Fruit Decay in Serbia.

Family Botryosphaeriaceae and the genus Diaporthe (family Diaporthaceae) represent diverse groups of plant pathogens, which include causal agents of leaf spot, shoot blight, branch and stem cankers, dieback, and pre- and postharvest apple fruit decay. Apple fruit with symptoms of light to dark brown decay were collected during and after harvest from 2016 to 2018. Thirty selected isolates, on which pathogenicity was confirmed, were identified and characterized based on multilocus phylogeny and morphology. Five species from the family Botryosphaeriaceae and two from the genus Diaporthe (fam. Diaporthaceae) were discovered. The most commonly isolated was Diplodia seriata followed by Botryosphaeria dothidea. In this work, Diaporthe rudis is described as a new postharvest pathogen of apple fruit. Diplodia bulgarica, Diplodia sapinea, Neofusicoccum yunnanense, and Diaporthe eres are initially described as postharvest apple and D. sapinea as postharvest quince and medlar fruit pathogens in Serbia. Because species of the family Botryosphaeriaceae and the genus Diaporthe are known to cause other diseases on their hosts, have an endophytic nature, and have a wide host range, findings from this study imply that they may become a new challenge for successful fruit production.

Postharvest quality maintenance of wax apple and guava fruits by use of a fermented broth of an ε-poly-l-lysine-producing Streptomyces strain.

ε-Poly-l-lysine (ε-PL) is a natural antimicrobial polymer with significant inhibitory activity against a broad spectrum of microorganisms, and nowadays used widely as a preservative in the food industry. In the present study, ε-PL broth was obtained from Streptomyces ahygroscopicus GIM8 fermentation in a nutrient-limited liquid medium. The in vitro antifungal activity of the broth against fruit pathogens Penicillium expansum and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides was investigated, and its usage for postharvest storage of two highly perishable fruits wax apple and guava was evaluated. Results showed that ε-PL concentration in the broth reached 0.61 g/L, and the nutrition level of the broth was low. The antifungal activity of ε-PL broth was comparable to that of the aqueous solution of ε-PL under the same concentration. Immersion with the diluted broth (200 mg/L ε-PL) markedly delayed the decline in the quality of postharvest wax apple and guava fruits during storage, and the decay incidences were also greatly decreased as compared to their respective controls (distilled water immersion). A further investigation demonstrated that the ε-PL broth immersion induced an increase in the activity of defense-related enzymes peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase in the two fruits during storage. The present study proved that the fermentation broth of ε-PL could be used as a promising alternative to high purity ε-PL and synthetic fungicides for preserving fruits at postharvest stage.

Antifungal Activity of Squid Pen Chitosan Nanoparticles against Three Fungal Pathogens in Various Citrus Fruits In Vitro and In Vivo

Fungal infections have been considered a primary cause of the postharvest losses of citrus fruits. Therefore, it is necessary to find low-cost and high antifungal activity materials for preventing the decay of citrus fruits after harvest. In this study, squid chitosan nanoparticles (SCNs) were prepared from squid pen chitosan and used as a biofungicide against three citrus fungal pathogens in both in vitro and in vivo evaluations. The prepared SCNs had a mean size of ca. 56 nm and a high zeta potential of +98.7 eV with a narrow size distribution. At a range of 50–250 ppm, the SCN concentration of 200 ppm exhibited the highest activity in totally inhibiting the growth of Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae, Alternaria alternate, and Penicillium digitatum in in vitro tests where these fungi were isolated from symptomatic fruits and identified. Furthermore, after 12 days of incubation at 30 ± 0.2 °C and high relative humidity in in vivo studies, the infection area of the sample treated at 250 ppm completely suppressed fruit disease symptoms. The results demonstrate that prepared SCNs efficiently control postharvest citrus fruit diseases. These findings recommend applying SCNs as a potential candidate for citrus fruit storage.

Systemic resistance: Plant responses to interaction with fungal bio-control agents

Systemic resistance in plant against phytopathogens is mainly associated with systemic acquired resistance (SAR) and induced systemic resistance (ISR). SAR and ISR are mechanisms of induced defense that confers long-lasting protection against a broad spectrum of phytopathogens. SAR requires the signal molecule salicylic acid (SA) while ISR signal molecules are jasmonic acid (JA) and ethylene. These are associated with accumulation of pathogenesis-related proteins (PRP) which contribute resistance inside plant. Bio-control fungi (BCF) such as Trichoderma spp. and Pseudomonas spp. are agents that control plant diseases. They have the ability to control numerous soil-borne as well as many foliar and fruit pathogens. BCF also augments nutrient uptake and increase nitrogen use efficiency in crop plants. Some strains also have abilities to improve photosynthetic efficiency of plants. Furthermore, PcPCL1606 has displayed additional traits regarding its fitness in soil and plant root environments such as soil survival, efficient plant root colonization, promotion of plant growth. The present review highlights systemic resistance in plant concerns with SAR and ISR-mediated functional traits, such as enhancement of plant growth and bio-control of phytopathogens.

Field Evaluation of Indofil Z-78 against Fruit Rot (Colletotrichum sp.) and Leaf Spot (Alternaria and Cercospora) Disease of Pomegranate

The pomegranate (Punica granatum L.), is one of the ancient and highly praised favorite fruit belongs family Lythraceae of Myrtales order which is mainly grown in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. In recent years for successful cultivation of pomegranate, faced by many constraints, among them, pest and diseases are the major ones. Common pathogens of pomegranate leaf and fruits include Anthracnose and Cercospora and Alternaria leaf spot and these pathogens cause severe loss to pomegranate crop. Therefore, a field experiment was carried out on the effect of Indofil Z-78 against leaf spots and fruit rot of pomegranate during 2018-19 and 2019-2020 at College of Horticulture, Hiriyur. Experimental results revealed that all the treatments significantly reduced the leaf spots and fruit rot disease severity over untreated control.Amongst all the treatments in both seasons. Indofil Z-78 @ 4 gm/liter was most effective in management leaf spots (15.18 and 12.33 PDI), anthracnose (10.55 and 15.13 PDI) with a yield of 4.00 tons/ha and 3.82 tons/ ha respectively followed by the same fungicides at 3.00 gm/liter.