Induced Resistance to Fusarium wilt (Fusarium oxysporum) in Tomato using Plant Growth Activator, Acibenzolar-S-methyl

Abstract

Acibenzolar-s-methyl (ASM) is a plant systemic-acquired resistance (SAR) elicitor that belongs to the benzothiadiazole group and it induces SAR in tomato plant (Solanum lycopersicum L.) against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopercisi (FOL), the causative organism of vascular wilt of tomato. It is a good substitute to chemical fungicides which often resulted in environmental damage and increased pathogen resistance. Two tomato accessions FUNAABTO 0168 (Accession I) and FUNAABTO 0178 (Accession II) were used. This study assessed the resistance of two accessions of ASM-treated tomato to FOL, identified the most effective method of ASM application and examined the influence of applied ASM on yield indices of the accessions. Tomato plants not treated with ASM (Nn) had the highest disease severity at 5th to 8th week after transplanting with corresponding value of 1.33, 2.00, 2.17 and 3.33 in Accession I and 1.00, 1.33, 1.50 and 1.67 in II. Primed and sprayed (Ps) method was the most effective of ASM application with least severity (0.00) and also had the highest yield in Accession I (3.35 ton/ha) and II (4.14 ton/ha), while tomato plant untreated (Nn) had the least yield in Accession I (2.16 ton/ha) and II (1.23 ton/ha) respectively. It is recommended that tomato seeds be first primed in ASM followed by spraying of seedlings with ASM at transplant to significantly reduce incidence and severity of Fusarium wilt and increase yield of tomato fruits.

Keywords: Acibenzolar-S-methyl, SAR, FUNAABTO, tomato, wilt