Optimizing Chemically Induced Resistance in Tomato Against Botrytis cinerea

Abstract

Resistance-inducing chemicals can offer broad-spectrum disease protection in crops, but can also affect plant growth and interactions with plant-beneficial microbes. We have evaluated different application methods of β-aminobutyric acid (BABA) and jasmonic acid (JA) for long-lasting induced resistance in tomato against Botrytis cinerea. In addition, we have studied nontarget effects on plant growth and root colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Germinating seeds for 1 week in BABA- or JA-containing solutions promoted seed germination efficiency, did not affect plant growth, and induced resistance in 4-week-old plants. When formulating BABA and JA in carboxymethyl cellulose seed coating, only BABA was able to induce resistance in 4-week-old plants. Root treatment of 1-week-old seedlings with BABA or JA also induced resistance in 4-week-old plants. However, this seedling treatment repressed plant growth at higher concentrations of the chemicals, which was particularly pronounced in hydroponically grown plants after BABA treatment. Both seed coating with BABA, and seedling treatments with BABA or JA, did not affect AMF root colonization in soil-grown tomato. Our study has identified commercially feasible application methods of BABA and JA, which induce durable disease resistance in tomato without concurrent impacts on plant growth or colonization by plant-beneficial AMF.

Post‐translational modifications in priming the plant immune system: ripe for exploitation?

“…Few studies have examined this in detail in crop systems [21]. Luna et al, showed that a soil drench of BABA at high concentrations (10 mM) and JA (1 mM) on 1-week-old tomato seedlings abolished plant growth and had lethal effects.…”

Using Green <I>Vaccination</I> to Brighten the Agronomic Future

“…In addition, it is also possible that the plant's primed state interferes with the relationship between the plant and beneficial organisms. For example, it has been reported that priming the SA pathway compromises the interaction with mycorrhizal fungi (de Roman et al, 2011) although this interaction was not affected after treatment with BABA at priming-inducing concentrations (Luna et al, 2015). Finally, an inherent risk of this phenomenon is that, when priming is set, plants become more sensitive to mount a defence response and could activate this costly defence mechanism to false alarm signals that do not represent a serious threat.…”

“…The use of beneficial microorganisms, therefore, offers promising solutions as they enhance resistance, promote plant development (Ousley et al, 1993) and can be easily applied in the field. Another study has optimised the BABA-and JA-induced resistance response in tomato against grey mould (Luna et al, 2015). Here, it was shown that it is possible to incorporate treatments with priming-inducing chemicals into agronomic practice to provide easy means of application, for example, by optimising seed coats to release the chemicals into the system slowly while the seeds are germinating.…”

BABA application improves soybean resistance to aphid through activation of phenylpropanoid metabolism and callose deposition

“…Plants can acquire local and systemic wide‐spectrum resistance after treatment with necrotizing attackers or non‐pathogenic microbes, as well as many other natural or synthetic compounds . Beta‐aminobutyric acid (BABA) is known to confer protection against numerous stresses, such as microbial pathogens, arthropods, salt, and heat shock . Treatment with BABA can switch the normal physiological condition in plants into an altered state, called a ‘primed’ state, which is characterized by sensitized tolerance to stresses .…”

“…2,3 Beta-aminobutyric acid (BABA) is known to confer protection against numerous stresses, such as microbial pathogens, arthropods, salt, and heat shock. [4][5][6] Treatment with BABA can switch the normal physiological condition in plants into an altered state, called a 'primed' state, which is characterized by sensitized tolerance to stresses. 7,8 Primed plants are able to respond more rapidly and/or more strongly to stress attack than plants not treated with BABA.…”