Stimulation of fruit ethylene production by wounding and by Botrytis cinerea and Geotrichum candidum infection in normal and non-ripening tomatoes

• Published in: Journal of phytopathology Vol. 125; no. 2; pp. 148 - 156
• Main Authors: Barkai-Golan, R. (The Volcani Center, Bet Dagan (Israel). Agricultural Research Organization), Lavy-Meir, G, Kopeliovitch, E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.02.1989; Blackwell
• Subjects: Aethylen; Agrarprodukt; Biological and medical sciences; BOTRYTIS; Botrytis cinerea; ETHYLENE; ETILENO; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fungal plant pathogens; Fungi; GEOTRICHUM; Geotrichum candidum; Israel; LESION; LESIONES; LYCOPERSICON ESCULENTUM; MADURACION; MATURATION; Metabolismus; Pathology, epidemiology, host-fungus relationships. Damages, economic importance; Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection; Wunde; Fungi; Vegetable crop; Inheritance; Ethylene; Host agent relation; Phytopathogen; Metabolism; Biological activity; Thallophyta
• ISSN: 0931-1785; 1439-0434
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0434.1989.tb00650.x

Inoculation with both Botrytis cinerea and Geotrichum candidum stimulated ethylene evolution in the pre-climacteric normal tomato fruit and the non-ripening nor mutant which did not show any rise in ethylene when uninfected. In the post-climacteric normal fruits, new peaks in ethylene production were formed. The rise in ethylene evolution in all types of infected fruits has already been detected during the incubation period of the disease. Ethylene peaks were detected earlier and were higher in fruits infected with B. cinerea than with G. candidum, coinciding with the faster rate of growth of the former. Mechanical wounding also stimulated ethylene synthesis by the non-ripening fruits, production being directly proportional to wound dimension. Considerably higher rates of ethylene were recorded for infected fruits than for mechanically-injured fruits in which wound dimensions were similar to those of lesion development. Applying aminoxyacetic acid at the site of inoculation inhibited ethylene production by 55-60 per cent in the normal fruits and by about 80 per cent in the nor mutant fruits. A similar pathway of ethylene sythesis was suggested for normally ripening tomato fruit and non-ripening infected tissues