Articles
Red-light treatment induces resistance in pepper and pumpkin plants to Phytophthora capsici
Article number
1423_24
Pages
179 – 184
Language
English
Abstract
Phytophthora capsici infects more than 50 species in 15 plant families.
Peppers and cucurbits are major hosts of this pathogen, as it causes up to 100% crop losses in the commercial fields.
This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of red-light treatment for managing P. capsici in pepper and pumpkin production.
Seeds of bell pepper (Capsicum annuum) and pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) were sown in 10-cm diameter plastic pots containing steamed soil mix and plants were grown in a greenhouse under continuous red-light irradiation (600-700 nm) from fluorescent tubes, with light intensity of 287 µW cm‑2. Control seedlings were kept under either white-light fluorescent tubes or natural daylight in the same greenhouse.
Four-week-old pepper seedlings, and three-week-old pumpkin seedlings were transferred from under red light to natural daylight.
Plants were inoculated with a zoospore suspension of P. capsici (2×105 zoospores mL‑1 water). Four days after inoculation, seedlings were evaluated for defoliation and damping-off symptoms every day for 20 successive days.
Red-light treatment of seedlings reduced Phytophthora damping-off by up to 79%. Only 21 to 36% of red light treated pumpkin and pepper seedlings, respectively, became infected with P. capsici, whereas 78-100% of the control seedlings (grown under either white light or natural daylight) died.
The results indicated that the red-light treatment induces resistance in pepper and pumpkin seedlings against P. capsica.
Peppers and cucurbits are major hosts of this pathogen, as it causes up to 100% crop losses in the commercial fields.
This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of red-light treatment for managing P. capsici in pepper and pumpkin production.
Seeds of bell pepper (Capsicum annuum) and pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) were sown in 10-cm diameter plastic pots containing steamed soil mix and plants were grown in a greenhouse under continuous red-light irradiation (600-700 nm) from fluorescent tubes, with light intensity of 287 µW cm‑2. Control seedlings were kept under either white-light fluorescent tubes or natural daylight in the same greenhouse.
Four-week-old pepper seedlings, and three-week-old pumpkin seedlings were transferred from under red light to natural daylight.
Plants were inoculated with a zoospore suspension of P. capsici (2×105 zoospores mL‑1 water). Four days after inoculation, seedlings were evaluated for defoliation and damping-off symptoms every day for 20 successive days.
Red-light treatment of seedlings reduced Phytophthora damping-off by up to 79%. Only 21 to 36% of red light treated pumpkin and pepper seedlings, respectively, became infected with P. capsici, whereas 78-100% of the control seedlings (grown under either white light or natural daylight) died.
The results indicated that the red-light treatment induces resistance in pepper and pumpkin seedlings against P. capsica.
Authors
S.Z. Islam, M. Babadoost
Keywords
pepper, pumpkin, red light, Phytophthora capsici, damping-off, plant resistance
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