Preharvest high-intensity, pulsed polychromatic light and low-intensity UV-C treatments control Botrytis cinerea on lettuce (Lactuca sativa)

• Published in: European journal of plant pathology Vol. 159; no. 2; pp. 449 - 454
• Main Authors: Scott, G., Dickinson, M., Shama, G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.02.2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agriculture; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Botrytis cinerea; Chemical control; Disease control; Ecology; Lactuca sativa; Life Sciences; Luminous intensity; Phytotoxicity; Plant Pathology; Plant Sciences; Progressions; Ultraviolet radiation; UV-C; Lettuce; Hormesis; Disease control; Pulsed light
• ISSN: 0929-1873; 1573-8469
• DOI: 10.1007/s10658-020-02157-9

Hormetic treatments using high-intensity, pulsed polychromatic light (HIPPL) and low-intensity UV-C (LIUV) can control Botrytis cinerea on lettuce ( Lactuca sativa ) in a controlled environment. For the cv. Temira, 48 pulses of HIPPL significantly reduced mean disease progression (26%), while 0.64 kJ/m 2 of LIUV gave reductions of 27%. No LIUV or HIPPL treatment significantly reduced disease progression for cv. Amica. A 0.98 kJ/m 2 dose of LIUV and 24 pulses of HIPPL, however, reduced mean disease progressions (25% and 15%) when compared to the control. Phytotoxicity was observed at 48 and 72 pulses of HIPPL for Amica and Temira, respectively. LIUV caused phytotoxicity on both cvs. above 0.98 kJ/m 2 but at a reduced incidence for Temira. Both technologies delivered a similar level of disease control on cv. Temira and may provide a residue-free alternative to the chemical control of plant pathogens. HIPPL treatments, however, were achieved in 15 s and may prove to be a more commercially feasible alternative to LIUV with a treatment duration of 32 s.