Eficiência de indutores de resistência no controle da mancha-aquosa em meloeiro

Abstract

Bacterial fruit blotch caused by Acidovorax avenae subsp. citrulli (Schaad et al.) Willems et al. is an important melon (Cucumis melo L.) disease which causes fruit value reduction and high production losses reaching 100% in rainy season. At the present there are not effective methods of controlling this disease in Brazil, and therefore research for finding alternative control methods is essential. It was studied the effect of resistance inducers for controlling bacterial fruit blotch in ‘yellow’ melon (AF4945) and ‘Pele de Sapo’ (Nilo), evaluating different application periods (10 and 15 days after plant emergency), inducer dosages (acibenzolar-S-metil- ASM - 25; 50 and 75 mg a.i. L-1; Agro-Mos® - 0.5; 1.0 and 1.5 c.p. L-1; Ecolifeâ - 2; 3 and 4 mL c.p. L-1) and plant physiology in soil supplemented or not with NPK observing plant height, fresh and dry shoot biomass and enzymatic activity. The best period for inducers application was 10 days after plant emergency. For both genotypes, ASM (50 mg a.i. L-1) and Ecolifeâ (3 mL c.p. L-1) increased incubation period until 12 and 8 days; and reduced disease incidence by 87.5 and 60%; disease index by 95.7 and 88%; and area under disease progress curve by 93.7 and 74.5%. The two inducers independent of NPK level reduced plant height, fresh and dry shoot biomass until 24.5; 41.4 and 34.2%, respectively. Onlythe peroxidase activity was detected at 5, 10 and 45 days after inducer application. Although ASM (50 mg i.a. L-1) and Ecolifeâ (3 mL p.c. L-1) had affected plant development they significantly reduced bacterial fruit blotch in both melon types, ‘yellow’ and ‘Pele de Sapo’, and should be used for the integrated management of this disease.