Long‐lasting β‐aminobutyric acid‐induced resistance protects tomato fruit against Botrytis cinerea

Citation

Wilkinson SW, Pastor V, Paplauskas S, Pétriacq P & Luna E (2018) Long‐lasting β‐aminobutyric acid‐induced resistance protects tomato fruit against Botrytis cinerea. Plant Pathology, 67 (1), pp. 30-41. https://doi.org/10.1111/ppa.12725

Abstract
Minimizing losses to pests and diseases is essential for producing sufficient food to feed the world's rapidly growing population. The necrotrophic fungus Botrytis cinerea triggers devastating pre- and post-harvest yield losses in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). Current control methods are based on the pre-harvest use of fungicides, which are limited by strict legislation. This investigation tested whether induction of resistance by β-aminobutyric acid (BABA) at different developmental stages provides an alternative strategy to protect post-harvest tomato fruit against B. cinerea. Soil-drenching plants with BABA once fruit had already formed had no impact on tomato susceptibility to B. cinerea. However, BABA application to seedlings significantly reduced post-harvest infection of fruit. This resistance response was not associated with a yield reduction; however, there was a delay in fruit ripening. Untargeted metabolomics revealed differences between fruit from water- and BABA-treated plants, demonstrating that BABA triggered a defence-associated metabolomics profile that was long lasting. Targeted analysis of defence hormones suggested a role of abscisic acid (ABA) in the resistance phenotype. Post-harvest application of ABA to the fruit of water-treated plants induced susceptibility to B. cinerea. This phenotype was absent from the ABA-exposed fruit of BABA-treated plants, suggesting a complex role of ABA in BABA-induced resistance. A final targeted metabolomic analysis detected trace residues of BABA accumulated in the red fruit. Overall, it was demonstrated that BABA induces post-harvest resistance in tomato fruit against B. cinerea with no penalties in yield.

Journal
Plant Pathology: Volume 67, Issue 1

People

Mr Sam Paplauskas

PhD Researcher, Biological and Environmental Sciences