Biochemical aspects of cotton resistance to ramularia leaf spot mediated by silicon

This study investigated the effect of silicon (Si) on cotton resistance to ramularia leaf spot (Ramularia areola). Plants of cotton (cvs. NuOpal and BRS Buriti) were grown in nutrient solution containing 0 (+Si) or 2 mM Si L-1 (-Si) and inoculated with a conidial suspension of R. areola at 30 days after emergence. The incubation period (IP), latent period (LP60), severity, number of lesions (NL) per cm² of leaf area, lesion size (LS), foliar Si concentration and the activities of defense enzymes peroxidases (POX), polyphenoloxidases (PPO), chitinases (CHI), β-1,3-glucanases (GLU), and phenylalanine ammonia-lyases (PAL) were evaluated. Data from severity were used to calculate the area under ramularia leaf spot progress curve (AURLSPC). Leaf Si concentration increased by 64% on plants supplied with Si compared to plants not supplied with this element. There were increases of 10 and 14.7% for IP and LP60, respectively, on plants supplied with Si. Reductions of 38.6 and 62.4% for NL and 17.2 and 26.6% for LS occurred, respectively, for plants from NuOpal and BRS Buriti cvs supplied with Si. AURLSPC was reduced by 35% for the +Si treatment compared to the -Si treatment. The concentration of total soluble phenolic compounds on plants of both cv. supplied with Si increased during the progress of ramularia, but the lowest values occurred for the -Si treatment until 18 days after inoculation (dai). The increase on the concentration of lignin derivatives was significant only for plants of cv. BRS Buriti infected by R. areola and supplied with Si. POX activity was higher on plants from the two cultivars supplied with Si compared to plants not supplied with this element. For plants of cv. NuOpal supplied with Si, PPO, CHI, GLU, and PAL activities increased until 18 dai, but the activities of PAL and PPO on plants of cv. BRS Buriti were not potentiated by Si. On plants from cv. BRS Buriti supplied with Si, there was increase on CHI and GLU activities at 21 dai compared to plants not supplied with Si. It can be concluded that cotton resistance to ramularia leaf spot was biochemically enhanced by Si, especially for plants of cv. NuOpal considered susceptible to ramularia leaf spot.

defense enzymes; mechanisms of defense; mineral nutrition