INDUCTION OF SYSTEMIC RESISTANCE IN CUCUMBER AGAINST ANTHRACNOSE BY PLANT GROWTH PROMOTING FUNGI

Plant growth promoting fungi(PGPF) obtained from zoysiagrass rhizosphere offer dual advantages - induse systemic disease resistance response in cucumber to C. orbiculare infection and cause enhancement of plant growth and increase yield. PGPF protected plants either by colonizing roots or by their metabolites. PGPF offer an advantage by protecting plants for more than 9 weeks and 6 week in the greenhouse and field. PGPF-induced plants limited pathogen spore germination and decreased the number of infection hyphae on the leaf, and increased lignification at places of attempted pathogen infection, thus reducing the pathogen spread. PGPF elicited increased activities of chitinascs, glucanases, peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase, and phenylalanine ammonia lyase to C. orbiculare infection in cucumber plants. The role of PGPF in elevating cucumber defense response to pathogen infection suggests potential application of PGPF as biological control agents.