Abstract
Finding safe and reliable alternatives to fungicides is currently one of the biggest challenges in agriculture. In this regard, this experiment investigated the effectiveness of different elicitors, botanical extracts and essential oils to control grey mold (Botrytis cinerea) and powdery mildew (Podosphaera aphanis) on strawberry plants. This trial was conducted in field conditions under a plastic tunnel with strawberry plants ‘Elsanta’. A first group of strawberry plants was treated before flowering with elicitors [acibenzolar-S-Methyl–(BTH), chitosan], botanical extracts (seaweed extract, alfalfa hydrolysate) and essential oils (thyme and juniper), and grey mold incidence on flowers was evaluated (Experiment 1). Furthermore, a second group of plants was treated before (Experiment 2) and after (Experiment 3) controlled inoculation with P. aphanis. The results indicated that the incidence of flower infected by B. cinerea was reduced by approximately 50% with thyme and juniper essential oils’ applications compared to the untreated control, with no significant difference observed compared to the commercial fungicide penconazole (positive control). As a consequence, the final yield of essential-oil-treated plants was +27% higher than that of non-treated plants. No significant differences emerged for other tested products against grey mold. However, gene expression analysis showed an up-regulation (>2 ÷ 5 folds as compared to control 4 days after application) of FaEDS1, FaLOX and PR gene expression (FaPR1, FaPR5, FaPR10) in leaves treated with BTH. The other natural substances tested also induced defense-related genes, albeit at a lower level than BTH. In Experiment 2, all treatments applied prior to inoculation significantly reduced the incidence and severity of powdery mildew as compared to control. At 28 days after inoculation, chitosan and thyme essential oil applications performed similarly to their positive controls (BTH and penconazole, respectively), showing a significant reduction in disease incidence (by −84 and −92%) as compared to control. Post-inoculum application of essential oils (Experiment 3) showed an efficacy similar to that of penconazole against powdery mildew. These results indicated that the tested substances could be used as alternatives to fungicides for the control of grey mold and powdery mildew in strawberry, therefore representing a valuable tool for the control of these fungal diseases under the framework of sustainable agriculture.
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Claims 11
Claim · model-written summary
Thyme and juniper essential oil applications reduced the incidence of strawberry flowers infected by Botrytis cinerea by approximately 50% compared with the untreated control.
- Taxon
- strawberry
_single2.jpg?width=60)
Fragaria ×ananassat0 - Treatment
- thyme and juniper essential oils’ applicationse0
- Interactor
- B. cinerea
Botrytis cinereae0pathogen - Outcome
- incidence of flower infected by B. cinereae0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- approximately 50%e0
- Comparator
- untreated controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
_single2.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
t0“Strawberry”
e0“the incidence of flower infected by B. cinerea was reduced by approximately 50% with thyme and juniper essential oils’ applications compared to the untreated control”
Claim · model-written summary
Grey mold incidence on flowers with thyme and juniper essential oils did not differ significantly from the commercial fungicide penconazole.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassat0
- Treatment
- thyme and juniper essential oils’ applicationse1
- Interactor
- B. cinereaBotrytis cinereae1pathogen
- Outcome
- incidence of flower infected by B. cinereae1
- Direction
- no significant differencee1
- Comparator
- commercial fungicide penconazolee1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Strawberry”
e1“the incidence of flower infected by B. cinerea was reduced by approximately 50% with thyme and juniper essential oils’ applications compared to the untreated control, with no significant difference observed compared to the commercial fungicide penconazole (positive control)”
Claim · model-written summary
The final yield of essential-oil-treated strawberry plants was 27% higher than that of non-treated plants.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassat0
- Treatment
- essential-oil-treatede2
- Outcome
- final yielde2
- Direction
- highere2
- Value
- +27%e2
- Comparator
- non-treated plantse2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Strawberry”
e2“the final yield of essential-oil-treated plants was +27% higher than that of non-treated plants”
Claim · model-written summary
The other tested products showed no significant differences against grey mold.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassat0
- Treatment
- other tested productse3
- Outcome
- grey molde3
- Direction
- No significant differencese3
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Strawberry”
e3“No significant differences emerged for other tested products against grey mold”
Claim · model-written summary
BTH treatment up-regulated FaEDS1, FaLOX and PR genes (FaPR1, FaPR5, FaPR10) in strawberry leaves by more than 2 to 5 folds compared with control 4 days after application.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassat0
- Organ / stage
- leavese4
- Treatment
- BTHe4
- Gene
- FaEDS1, FaLOX and PRe4
- Outcome
- gene expressione4
- Direction
- up-regulatione4
- Value
- >2 ÷ 5 foldse4
- Comparator
- controle4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Strawberry”
e4“an up-regulation (>2 ÷ 5 folds as compared to control 4 days after application) of FaEDS1, FaLOX and PR gene expression (FaPR1, FaPR5, FaPR10) in leaves treated with BTH”
Claim · model-written summary
The other natural substances tested also induced defense-related genes, at a lower level than BTH.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassat0
- Treatment
- other natural substancese5
- Outcome
- defense-related genese5
- Direction
- lower levele5
- Comparator
- BTHe5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Strawberry”
e5“The other natural substances tested also induced defense-related genes, albeit at a lower level than BTH”
Claim · model-written summary
In Experiment 2, all treatments applied before inoculation significantly reduced the incidence and severity of powdery mildew compared with control.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassat0
- Treatment
- all treatments applied prior to inoculatione6
- Interactor
- powdery mildewe6pathogen
- Outcome
- incidence and severity of powdery mildewe6
- Direction
- reducede6
- Comparator
- controle6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Strawberry”
e6“all treatments applied prior to inoculation significantly reduced the incidence and severity of powdery mildew as compared to control”
Claim · model-written summary
At 28 days after inoculation, chitosan reduced powdery mildew incidence by 84% compared with control, performing similarly to its positive control BTH.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassat0
- Treatment
- chitosane7
- Outcome
- disease incidencee7
- Direction
- reductione7
- Value
- −84e7
- Qualifier
- performed similarly to their positive controls (BTHe7
- Comparator
- controle7
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Strawberry”
e7“chitosan and thyme essential oil applications performed similarly to their positive controls (BTH and penconazole, respectively), showing a significant reduction in disease incidence (by −84 and −92%) as compared to control”
Claim · model-written summary
At 28 days after inoculation, thyme essential oil reduced powdery mildew incidence by 92% compared with control, performing similarly to its positive control penconazole.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassat0
- Treatment
- thyme essential oile7
- Outcome
- disease incidencee7
- Direction
- reductione7
- Value
- −92%e7
- Qualifier
- performed similarly to their positive controls (BTH and penconazolee7
- Comparator
- controle7
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Strawberry”
e7“chitosan and thyme essential oil applications performed similarly to their positive controls (BTH and penconazole, respectively), showing a significant reduction in disease incidence (by −84 and −92%) as compared to control”
Claim · model-written summary
Post-inoculum application of essential oils showed an efficacy against powdery mildew similar to that of penconazole.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassat0
- Treatment
- Post-inoculum application of essential oilse0
- Interactor
- powdery mildewe0pathogen
- Outcome
- efficacye0
- Direction
- similare0
- Comparator
- penconazolee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Strawberry”
e0“Post-inoculum application of essential oils (Experiment 3) showed an efficacy similar to that of penconazole against powdery mildew”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors conclude that the tested substances could be used as alternatives to fungicides for controlling grey mold and powdery mildew in strawberry.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassae1
- Outcome
- alternatives to fungicides for the control of grey mold and powdery mildewe1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“the tested substances could be used as alternatives to fungicides for the control of grey mold and powdery mildew in strawberry”
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