Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Plant Quarantine Pathogens Laboratory, Mycology Research & Disease Survey, Plant Pathology Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, 12619, Giza, Egypt.
2
Vegetable Diseases Research Dept., Plant Pathology Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, 12619, Giza, Egypt.
3
Agricultural Biochemistry Dept., Faculty of Agriculture, Benha University, Benha, Egypt.
4
Post-harvest Diseases Research Dept., Plant Pathology Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, 12619, Giza, Egypt.
Abstract
Our investigation aimed to evaluate the efficacy of applying Boric, Ascorbic and Oxalic acids as foliar treatments on two strawberry cultivars, i.e., Fortuna and Sensation, during field growth, on controlling gray mold in post-harvest stage. In vitro experiment revealed that all the tested acids were found to have direct fungicidal effect on B. cinerea growth. Oxalic acid was the most effective causing total inhibition to the fungal growth. The disease severity on strawberry fruits stored at 0±1°C for 21 days was significantly reduced in all treatments of acids on both tested cultivars. However, Boric acid (40 mM) was, in general, the most effective treatment in reducing disease severity followed by Ascorbic acid (40 mM), especially for artificially inoculated strawberry fruits, while Oxalic acid and Ascorbic acid were the least efficient in reducing disease severity at the lower concentration. The effect of different acid treatments on the activity of oxidative enzymes revealed a correlation between the reduction in disease severity and increase in enzymes activity of polyphenoloxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POX). However, there was no consistency in the activity of catalase (CAT) in correlation with disease severity. The total phenols concentrations in fruits were significantly increased with all treatments. The free radical scavenging activity analysis in fruits showed a high correlation between the total phenols concentrations and antioxidants scavenging activities in both tested cultivars. The overall conclusion is that the acids under investigation induced a resistance against B. cinerea in fruits during storage and significantly suppressed gray mold severity.
Keywords
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