Resistance induction anthracnose control in pepper plants using acibenzolar-S-methyl

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The resistance induction becomes an alternative to control microorganisms that attacks like plants. Little is known about the dose and its effect on the enzymatic activities associated with the induction of resistance of pepper plants under anthracnose attack. The objective of this study was to evaluate the severity and to estimate the enzymatic activity of Arcade F1 hybrid peppers infected with Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and submitted to different doses of the abiotic acibenzolar-S-methyl inducer. The experimental design was completely randomized blocks with five treatments, four doses of acibenzolar-S-methyl (0.15, 0.30, 0.45 and 0.60 g.L-1), and the control with distilled water only. The evaluation of leaf severity and collection for enzymatic activity of β-1,3-glucanase, catalase, peroxidase, polyphenoloxidase and ascorbate peroxidase were performed on the 4th, 8th and 12th day after inoculation of the phytopathogen. The application of acibenzolar-S-methyl provided a reduction in anthracnose severity, with an increase in all the enzymatic activities evaluated, but there was no prevalence of a specific dose. However, all doses of the evaluated inducers were able to delay the development of the phytopathogen with elevated activity of one or more antioxidant enzyme. KEYWORDS: Antioxidant enzymes, phytopathogenic fungus, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides.