Journal of Pure and Applied MicrobiologyVol. 7 No. 3

Inducing Resistance in a Flax Cultivar Susceptible to Rust Disease Caused by Melampsora lini

A.M.A. El-Samawaty1,2*

1Department of Botany and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 2Agricultural Research Center, Plant Pathology Research Institute, Giza, Egypt.

Received on 01 April 2013 and accepted on 24 May 2013

ABSTRACT

Ten resistance elicitors, ammonium tartrate, ascorbic acid, benzoic acid, citric acid, cinnamic acid, hydroquinone, salicylic acid, sodium citrate, sodium metabisulfate and thiourea, were applied as foliar sprays using two methods at concentrations of 200 ppm to evaluate their capabilities to induce resistance in the flax cultivar Sakha 1 against rust disease caused by Melampsora lini under greenhouse conditions. The trials were repeated three times. ANOVA indicated that the efficiencies of some resistance elicitors, such as benzoic acid and hydroquinone, were different depending on the application method. Other elicitors, including thiourea, salicylic acid and ammonium tartrate, were highly efficient and were stable in reducing the incidence and severity of flax rust disease. However, ascorbic acid was only moderately effective at reducing the incidence and severity of flax rust.

Keywords : Elicitors, Flax, Antioxidant, Fungi, Systemic resistance.