Effect on stem-end rot and anthracnose levels of dipping mango fruit in host-defence-promoting compounds.
Zainuri, Joyce D. C., Wearing A. H., Coates L. M., Crossley C. M.
Author Affiliation: Department of Plant Production, University of Queensland, Gatton College, Queensland 4345, Australia.
ACIAR Proceedings Series : 202-207
Abstract : An experiment was conducted to determine if treatment with the host-defence-promoting compounds, salicylic acid and potassium phosphate, would induce fruit resistance to stem-end rot [Glomerella cingulata] and anthracnose (Dothiorella dominicana). Mango cv. Kensington Pride fruit were treated with 0, 10, 100 and 1000 mg/litre salicylic acid or potassium phosphonate as a series of 3 preharvest dips and 1 postharvest dip. Ripening (colour, firmness) and disease (severity, incidence) parameters were assessed at various intervals during shelf life at 23°C. Neither salicylic acid nor potassium phosphonate treatments reduced disease incidence or severity under the conditions of this experiment. For both pathogens, disease symptoms (lesions) appeared when the fruit started to ripen, as indicated by colour and firmness changes. There were no significant treatment effects on colour or firmness changes. These results suggest that salicylic acid and potassium phosphate did not induce host resistance mechanisms.