Combination of Selenium and Methyl Jasmonate Controls Postharvest Tomato Gray Mold by Damaging the Membrane System

Abstract

Tomato, which is regarded as an important worldwide crop, is susceptible to gray mold caused by Botrytis cinerea. Selenium and methyl jasmonate can act as antifungal agents against pathogenic infections. To clarify the effect of selenium and methyl jasmonate on the fungal pathogen, the spore germination and mycelial growth of B. cinerea were investigated in vitro using the growth rate method. Additionally, the electrical conductivity, soluble protein content, malondialdehyde content and oxalic acid secretion of B. cinerea mycelium were also determined to further explore the antifungal mechanism of selenium and methyl jasmonate. The results showed that selenium application significantly increased cell membrane permeability and malondialdehyde content, and methyl jasmonate treatment decreased the soluble protein content in mycelium of B. cinerea. Furthermore, supplementation of the medium with both selenium and methyl jasmonate effectively inhibited spore germination and colony growth of B. cinerea by compromising membrane integrity, and significantly reduced soluble protein content and the oxalic acid secretion of hypha. The resulting incidence of postharvest tomato gray mold with the combination of selenium and methyl jasmonate was 34.7%, which was approximately half of that of the control. To sum up, the combined use of selenium and methyl jasmonate inhibited the normal physiological activity and pathogenicity of B. cinerea, which suggests that selenium and methyl jasmonate have the potential for controlling gray mold disease caused by B. cinerea in postharvest fruits and vegetables. These findings may offer a promising and eco-friendly strategy to control gray mold disease in postharvest fruits and vegetables.

Edible Composite Coating of Chitosan and Curdlan Maintains Fruit Quality of Postharvest Cherry Tomatoes

“…Among all groups, the MDA content and membrane permeability of cherry tomatoes treated with the composite coating were relatively low (Figure 5a,b). This suggested that the senescence degree of cherry tomatoes treated with the composite coating was the lowest, and also confirmed that free radical scavenging enzymes played a positive role [31]. The CHI and GLU activities of postharvest cherry tomatoes treated with the composite coating maintained the highest activity during the whole storage period (Figure 4d,e).…”

Postharvest Application of Sodium Selenite Maintains Fruit Quality and Improves the Gray Mold Resistance of Strawberry

“…Se, an essential micronutrient for both humans and plants, is suggested to be involved in gray mold resistance, supported by increasing evidence. In vitro, it has been shown that 24 mg/L Se treatment markedly suppressed the spore germination of B. cinerea [17]; in vivo, Se treatment, alone or combined with other chemicals such as melatonin and methyl jasmonate, could effectively control tomato postharvest gray mold, either by increasing the antioxidant enzyme activities or damaging the membrane structure of the pathogen [43][44][45]. In our study, 12 mg/L treatment was shown to significantly control the gray mold disease of postharvest strawberry fruit.…”

Application of ultra‐low‐volume spray for the control of vegetable disease in greenhouse: Investigation of formulation performance and potential dermal exposure

“…Generally, after infection with B. cinerea, the yield of tomatoes decreases by 20%-30%, and for severely affected plots can even be as high as 50%. 30,31 In recent years, ULV spraying is considered a most effective and labor-saving technique for the control of high humidity-induced vegetable disease, such as tomato gray mold. Compared with traditional mechanical and manual pesticide spraying, the use of ULV sprayers can save labor and time, while enabling pest and disease control without significant impacts on yield and quality.…”

“…Such environmental conditions in the greenhouse favor the occurrence of B. cinerea , and it is not easy to control. Generally, after infection with B. cinerea , the yield of tomatoes decreases by 20%–30%, and for severely affected plots can even be as high as 50% 30,31 …”