Salicylic acid positively regulates maize defenses against lepidopteran insects

In response to insect attack,plants use intricate signaling pathways,including phytohormones,such as jasmonate(JA),ethylene(ET),and salicylic acid(SA),to activate defenses.Maize(Zea mays)is one of the most important staple food crops around the world.Previous studies have shown that the JA and ET signaling play important roles in maize defense against insects,but little is known about whether and how SA regulates maize resistance to insect herbivores.In this study,we ectopically expressed the NahG(salicylate hydroxylase)gene in maize plants(NahG maize)to block the accumulation of SA.It was found that compared with the wild-type(WT)maize,the NahG-maize exhibited decreased resistance to the generalist insects Spodoptera litura and Spodoptera frugiperda and the specialist Mythimna separata,and the compromised resistance in the NahG maize was associated with decreased levels of defensive metabolites benzoxazinoids(Bxs)and chlorogenic acid(CA).Quantification of simulated S.litura feedinginduced JA,JA-isoleucine conjugate(JA-Ile),and ET in the WT and NahG maize indicated that SA does not regulate JA or JA-Ile,but positively controls ET.We provide evidence suggesting that the SA pathway does not crosstalk with the JA or the ET signaling in regulating the accumulation of Bxs and CA.Transcriptome analysis revealed that the bHLH,ERF,and WRKY transcription factors might be involved in SAregulated defenses.This study uncovers a novel and important phytohormone pathway in maize defense against lepidopterous larvae.

OsbZIP53 Negatively Regulates Immunity Response by Involving in Reactive Oxygen Species and Salicylic Acid Metabolism in Rice

The basic region/leucine zipper(bZIP)transcription factors play important roles in plant development and responses to abiotic and biotic stresses.OsbZIP53 regulates resistance to Magnaporthe oryzae in rice by analyzing APIP5-RNAi transgenic plants.To further investigate the biological functions of OsbZIP53,we generated osbzip53 mutants using CRISPR/Cas9 editing and also constructed OsbZIP53 over-expression transgenic plants.Comprehensive analysis of phenotypical,physiological,and transcriptional data showed that knocking-out OsbZIP53 not only improved disease resistance by inducing a hypersensitivity response in plants,but also regulated the immune response through the salicylic acid pathway.Specifically,disrupting OsbZIP53 increased H2O2 accumulation by promoting reactive oxygen species generation through up-regulation of several respiratory burst oxidase homologs(Osrboh genes)and weakened H2O2 degradation by directly targeting OsMYBS1.In addition,the growth of osbzip53 mutants was seriously impaired,while OsbZIP53 over-expression lines displayed a similar phenotype to the wild type,suggesting that OsbZIP53 has a balancing effect on rice immune response and growth.

FaSnRK1a mediates salicylic acid pathways to enhance strawberry resistance to Botrytis cinerea

Strawberry is a major fruit crop worldwide because its nutritional and health benefits to human health,but its productivity is limited by Botrytis cinerea.Sucrose nonfermentation 1-related protein kinase 1(SnRK1)has a defense function against pathogens,but the function of SnRK1 in the defense response to B.cinerea in plants is still unclear.In this study,FaSnRK1a-OE and RNAi fruits were constructed and then inoculated with B.cinerea.The result reveals a positive role of Fa SnRK1a in the regulation of resistance to gray mold.FaSnRK1a affects SA content by regulating FaPAL1 and FaPAL2 expressions.The genes related to the SA signaling pathway(FaTGA1 and FaTGA2.1)were significantly increased/decreased in FaSnRK1a-OE or FaSnRK1a-RNAi fruit,respectively.FaSnRK1a interacted with the FaWRKY33.2 protein and negatively regulated FaWRKY33.2 expression,and FaWRKY33.2 acts as a repressor of disease resistance to B.cinerea.Finally,FaSnRK1a regulates the expression of six PR genes and the activities of antioxidant enzymes to boost defense response after B.cinerea inoculation.Our findings showed that FaSnRK1a increases the resistance of strawberry fruit to B.cinerea via SA signaling pathway and interaction with the FaWRKY33.2 transcription factor.

In vitro and in silico studies of salicylic acid on systemic induced resistance against bacterial leaf blight disease and enhancement of crop yield

Salicylic acid(SA)is an effective elicitor to promote plant defenses and growth.This study aimed to investigate rice(Oryza sativa L.)cv.Khao Dawk Mali 105 treated with salicylic acid(SA)-Ricemate as an enhanced plant protection mechanism against bacterial leaf blight(BLB)disease caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv.oryzae(Xoo).Results indicated that the use of SA-Ricemate as a foliar spray at concentrations of more than 100 mg L^(-1)can reduce the severity of BLB disease by 71%.SA-Ricemate treatment also increased the hydrogen peroxide(H_(2)O_(2))content of rice leaf tissues over untreated samples by 39–61%.Malondialdehyde(MDA)in rice leaves treated with SA-Ricemate also showed an increase of 50–65%when comparing to non-treated samples.The differential development of these defense compounds was faster and distinct when the SA-Ricemate-treated rice was infected with Xoo,indicating plant-induced resistance.Besides,SA-Ricemate elicitor at a concentration of 50–250 mg L^(-1)was correlated with a substantial increase in the accumulation of total chlorophyll content at 2.53–2.73 mg g^(-1)of fresh weight which suggests that plant growth is activated by SA-Ricemate.The catalase-and aldehyde dehydrogenase-binding sites were searched for using the CASTp server,and the findings were compared to the template.Chemsketch was used to design and optimize SA,which was then docked to the catalase and aldehyde dehydrogenase-binding domains of the enzymes using the GOLD 3.0.1 Software.SA is shown in several docked conformations with the enzymes catalase and aldehyde dehydrogenase.All three catalase amino acids(GLN7,VAL27,and GLU38)were discovered to be involved in the creation of a strong hydrogen bond with SA when SA was present.In this mechanism,the aldehyde dehydrogenase amino acids LYS5,HIS6,and ASP2 were all implicated,and these amino acids created strong hydrogen bonds with SA.In field conditions,SA-Ricemate significantly reduced disease severity by 78%and the total grain yield was significantly increased which was an increase of plant height,tiller per hill,and panicle in three field trials during Aug–Nov 2017 and 2018.Therefore,SA-Ricemate can be used as an alternative elicitor on replacing harmful pesticides to control BLB disease with a high potential of increasing rice defenses,growth,and yield components.

SsRSS1 mediates salicylic acid tolerance and contributes to virulence in sugarcane smut fungus

Sugarcane smut caused by Sporisorium scitamineum is a destructive disease responsible for significant losses in sugarcane production worldwide.However,the mechanisms underlying the pathogenicity of this fungus remain largely unknown.In this study,we found that the disruption of the SsRSS1 gene,which encodes a salicylic acid(SA)sensing regulator,does not affect phenotypic traits such as the morphology,growth rate,and sexual mating ability of haploid basidiospores,but rather reduces the tolerance of basidiospores to SA stress by blocking the induction of SsSRG1,a gene encoding a SA response protein in S.scitamineum.SsRSS1 deletion resulted in the attenuation of the virulence of the fungus.In addition to a significant reduction in whip formation,a portion of plantlets(18.3%)inoculated with theΔSsRSS1 strains were found to be infected but failed to produce whips for up to 90 days post-inoculation.However,the development of hyphae and teliospore from theΔSsRSS1-infected plants that formed whips seemed indistinguishable from that in the wild-type-infected plants.Combined,our findings suggested that SsRss1 is required for maintaining fungal fitness in planta by counteracting SA stress.

Salicylic Acid Application Mitigates Oxidative Damage and Improves the Growth Performance of Barley under Drought Stress

Drought is a severe environmental constraint,causing a significant reduction in crop productivity across the world.Salicylic acid(SA)is an important plant growth regulator that helps plants cope with the adverse effects induced by various abiotic stresses.The current study investigated the potential effects of SA on drought tolerance efficacy in two barley(Hordeum vulgare)genotypes,namely BARI barley 5 and BARI barley 7.Ten-day-old barley seedlings were exposed to drought stress by maintaining 7.5%soil moisture content in the absence or presence of 0.5,1.0 and 1.5 mM SA.Drought exposure led to severe damage to both genotypes,as indicated by phenotypic aberrations and reduction of dry biomass.On the other hand,the application of SA to drought-stressed plants protected both barley genotypes from the adverse effects of drought,which was reflected in the improvement of phenotypes and biomass production.SA supplementation improved relative water content and proline levels in drought-stressed barley genotypes,indicating the osmotic adjustment functions of SA under water-deficit conditions.Drought stress induced the accumulation of reactive oxygen species(ROS),such as hydrogen peroxide(H2O2)and superoxide(O_(2)•^(−)),and the lipid peroxidation product malondialdehyde(MDA)in the leaves of barley plants.Exogenous supply of SA reduced oxidative damage by restricting the accumulation of ROS through the stimulation of the activities of key antioxidant enzymes,including superoxide dismutase(SOD),peroxidase(POD),catalase(CAT),ascorbate peroxidase(APX)and glutathione peroxidase(GPX).Among the three-applied concentrations of SA,0.5 mM SA exhibited better mitigating effects against drought stress considering the phenotypic performance and biochemical data.Furthermore,BARI barley 5 showed better performance under drought stress than BARI barley 7 in the presence of SA application.Collectively,our results suggest that SA played a crucial role in improving water status and antioxidant defense strategy to protect barley plants from the deleterious effects of water deficiency.

Curative Effect of 30% Supramolecular Salicylic Acid Combined with Yufa Spray Dressing on Moderate to Severe Scalp Seborrheic Dermatitis

Objective:To observe the clinical efficacy of 30%supramolecular salicylic acid combined with Yufa spray dressing in the treatment of moderate to severe seborrheic dermatitis(seborrheic dermatitis of the scalp,SDS).Methods:From January 2020 to December 2021,150 patients with SDS,who were treated in the Dermatology Clinic of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Medical University,were randomly divided into two groups,a treatment group and a control group,with 75 cases in each group.The treatment group was given 30%supramolecular salicylic acid combined with Yufa spray dressing on the basis of external medicine given to the control group,while the control group was given oral medicine combined with external medicine.Results:The difference in scores of erythema,scales,pruritus,and folliculitis of the treatment group before and after treatment was significant(P<0.01),indicating that supramolecular salicylic acid combined with Yufa spray dressing can relieve the symptoms of SDS.The difference in scores of erythema of the control group before and after treatment was significant as well(P<0.05),indicating that traditional antibiotics are also effective in treating SDS;however,there was no significant difference(P>0.05)in the scores of other signs and symptoms,such as scales,pruritus,and folliculitis,before and after treatment,indicating that traditional antibiotics have no obvious curative effect on SDS.After 12 weeks of treatment,the improvement in erythema,scaling,and folliculitis was significantly greater in the treatment group compared with the control group(P<0.05).Curative effect comparison showed that the total effective rate of the treatment group was 80.00%,compared with 25.67%of the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).Conclusion:30%supramolecular salicylic acid combined with Yufa spray dressing can significantly improve the therapeutic effect in moderate to severe SDS;the recurrence rate is lower,the course of treatment is shorted,and patients generally feel better;thus,it is a new option for the treatment of dermatitis.

SINGLE AND BINARY ADSORPTION PERFORMANCE OF SALICYLIC ACID AND 5-SULFOSALICYLIC ACID ONTO HYPERCROSSLINKED POLYMERIC ADSORBENTS

Single and binary adsorption behaviors of salicylic acid and 5-sulfosalicylic acid onto hypercrosslinked polymeric adsorbents,i.e.NDA-101 and NDA-99 were investigated.The Freundlich model can successfully describe all the adsorption isotherms tested,which indicates a favorable and exothermic adsorption process.The adsorption of salicylic acid relies on π-π interaction,while the electrostatic interaction further influences the adsorption of 5-sulfosalicylic acid onto NDA-99.The adsorptive capacity of salicylic acid on NDA-99 decreases but increases on NDA-101 with 5-sulfosalicylic acid as the background component in a binary solute system.The amount of 5-sulfosalicylic acid adsorbed was decreased with the increase in initial concentration of salicylic acid on both adsorbents.The competition for the adsorption sites is considered to be predominant in the solid-to-liquid interaction process.The adsorption selectivity of salicylic acid onto NDA-101 is higher than onto NDA-99 by more than an order of magnitude.Thus,combination technique involving NDA-101 followed by NDA-99 can be effectively applied to separate and recover salicylic acid and 5-sulfosalicylic acid from wastewater.

Effects of exogenous salicylic acid on growth and H_2O_2-metabolizing enzymes in rice seedlings under lead stress

Salicylic acid （SA） was an essential component of the plant resistance to pathogens and also plays an important role in mediating plant response to some abiotic stress. The possible effects of SA on the growth and H2O2-metabolizing enzymes in rice seedlings under lead stress were studied. When rice seedlings grown in nutrient solution containing Pb^2＋ （0, 0.05, 0.15, 0.25 mmol/L） for 18 d, the plant biomass as well as the chlorophyll content of leaves decreased with increasing Pb concentration. The pre-treatment with SA （treated with 0.1 mmol/L SA for 48 h before Pb stress） partially protected seedlings from Pb toxicity. The chlorophyll contents were significant higher in leaves of Pb-exposed with SA pre-treatment seedlings than in Pb-exposed plants at the same Pb intensity. SA pre-treated alone could significantly increase the length of shoot and root of seedlings but the vigour difference was not marked under long-term exposure to Pb toxicity. SA pre-treated influence the H2O2 level in leaves of seedlings by up-regulating the activity of superoxide dismutase （SOD）, repressing the activity of catalase （CAT） and ascorbate peroxidase （APX） depending on the concentrations of Pb^2＋ in the growth medium. The results supported the conclusion that SA played a positive role in rice seedlings against Pb toxicity.

Application of advanced oxidation processes for removing salicylic acid from synthetic wastewaters

In this study,advanced oxidation processes(AOPs) such as anodic oxidation(AO),UV/H_2O_2 and Fenton processes(FP) were investigated for the degradation of salicylic acid(SA) in lab-scale experiments.Boron-doped diamond(BDD) film electrodes using Ta as substrates were employed for AO of SA.In the case of FP and UV/H_2O_2,most favorable experimental conditions were determined for each process and these were used for comparing with AO process.The study showed that the FP was the most effective process under aci...

Salicylic acid alleviates postharvest chilling injury of sponge gourd(Luffa cylindrica)

Effect of salicylic acid（SA）on chilling injury（CI）of sponge gourd during storage（9 days,9°C）plus shelf life（2 days,20°C）was evaluated in this study.SA treatment at the concentration of 1.5 mmol L^-1 significantly reduced postharvest CI of sponge gourds.Besides,the application of SA could effectively decrease the electrolyte leakage,reduce the accumulation of malondialdehyde（MDA）and total phenolics,enhance the activities of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase（SOD）,catalase（CAT）and ascorbate peroxidase（APX）,and inhibit the activities of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase（PAL）and polyphenol oxidase（PPO）.The beneficial effects of SA could be attributed to preserved membrane integrity,inhibited membrane peroxidation,enhanced antioxidant system and suppressed activities of browning related enzymes.In a sense,SA as a postharvest tool may be commercially used in alleviating CI of sponge gourd.

Response of Endogenous Salicylic Acid and Jasmonates to Mechanical Wounding in Pea Leaves

The roles of on endogenous jasmonates （JAs） and salicylic acid （SA） in wounding response were investigated. Pea （Pisum sativum L.） seedlings were treated with three different methods including mechanical wounding, JAs application, and SA application. The contents of endogenous JAs and SA, as well as the activities of the related enzymes were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）, high performance liquid chromatography （HPLC）, and spectrophotometer, respectively. The results showed that endogenous JA rapidly accumulated within 30 min after wounding. The increase in the activities of both lipoxygenase （LOX） and allene oxide synthase （AOS） lagged behind JAs burst. A second slight increase in JAs level was observed at 24 h after wounding treatment, and at the same time point, higher activities of LOX and AOS were also detected. Endogenous free SA content decreased accompanied with JAs burst. Effects of exogenous JA application were similar to those of wounding treatment on endogenous SA level and phenylalanine ammonia lyase （PAL） activity, whereas exogenous SA application led to the significant inhibition of LOX and AOS activities and the decrease of endogenous JAs level at the early stage of treatment. It is thus suggested that JAs burst and SA decrease in early response to wounding may constitute an important mechanism by which plant starts the related defense reaction and adapts to wounding stress.

Transcriptional profiles underlying the effects of salicylic acid on fruit ripening and senescence in pear(Pyrus pyrifolia Nakai)

Salicylic acid(SA) plays a pivotal role in delaying fruit ripening and senescence. However, little is known about its underlying mechanism of action. In this study, RNA sequencing was conducted to analyze and compare the transcriptome profiles of SA-treated and control pear fruits. We found a total of 159 and 419 genes differentially expressed between the SA-treated and control pear fruits after 12 and 24 h of treatment, respectively. Among these differentially expressed genes(DEGs), 125 genes were continuously differentially expressed at both treatment times, and they were identified as candidate genes that might be associated with SA-regulated fruit ripening and senescence. Bioinformatics analysis results showed that 125 DEGs were mainly associated with plant hormone biosynthesis and metabolism, cell wall metabolism and modification, antioxidant systems, and senescence-associated transcription factors. Additionally, the expression of several candidate DEGs in ripening and senescent pear fruits after SA treatments were further validated by quantitative real-time PCR(qRT-PCR). This study provides valuable information and enhances the understanding of the comprehensive mechanisms of SA-meditated pear fruit ripening and senescence.

Effect of exogenous application of salicylic acid on the drought stress responses of Gardenia jasminoides

The alleviative effects of exogenous salicylic acid （SA） on plants against drought stress were assessed in Gardenia jasminoides seedlings treated with different concentrations of SA. Drought stress was simulated to a moderate level by 15% polyethylene glycol （PEG） 6000 treatment. Seedlings exposed to 15% PEG for 14 days exhibited a decrease in aboveground and underground dry mass, seedling height, root length, relative water content, photosynthetic pigment content, net photosynthetic rate （Pn）, transpiration rate （Tr）, stomatal conductance （Gs）, and water use efficiency. In PEG-stressed plants, the levels ofproline, malondialdehyde （MDA）, hydrogen peroxide （H2O2）, and electrolyte leakage rose significantly, whereas antioxidative activity, including superoxide, peroxidase, and catalase activities, declined in leaves. However, the presence of SA provided an effective method of mitigating PEG-caused physiological stresses on G. jasminoides seedlings, which depended on SA levels. PEG-treated plants exposed to SA at 0.5-1.0 mmol/L significantly eased PEG-induced growth inhibition. Application of SA, especially at concentrations of 0.5-1.0 mmol/L, considerably improved photosynthetic pigments, photosynthesis, antioxidative activity, relative water content, and proline accumulation, and decreased MDA content, H202 content, and electrolyte leakage. By contrast, the positive effects were not evident, or even more severe, in PEG＋SA4 treatment. Based on these physiological and biochemical data, a suitable concentration of SA, potential growth regulators, could be applied to enhance the drought tolerance of G. jasminoides.

Inducement of Salicylic Acid in Cucumber Cotyledons by Neodymium and Lanthanum

The cotyledons of cucumber were used to investigate the effects of Nd^3＋ and La^3＋ on physiological characters in respect of plant resistance. The cucumber cotyledons were sprayed with 15 μg · ml^-1· Nd^3＋ and La^3＋, and the changers on salicylic acid （SA） and SA 2-O-β-glucoside （SAG） contents, the generation of ·O2^-, and β-1,3-glucanase and chitinase activities were measured. The results demonstrated that the yields of endogenous SA and SAG in cucumber cotyledons were enhanced significantly in a short time in response to Nd^3＋ and La^3＋ treatments. At 3 h after La^3＋ treatment, the levels of SA and SAG reached the maximum, with 4.3 and 3.3-fold of that in control （CK）, respectively. At 12 h after Nd3＋ treatment, the contents of SA and SAG reached peak levels, increased by 4.5 and 3.0-fold of that in control （CK）, respec- tively. These two components were kept in a higher level up to 72 h after treatment. The generation rate of · O2^- increased gradually in the treatments of Nd^3＋ or La^3＋, and then decreased in cucumber at 12 h. β-1,3-glucanase activity reached peak at 3 h, while chitinase activity reached peak at 12 h, and then both decreased gradually in Nd^3＋ or La^3＋ treatments. At 72 h after treatment, activities of β-1, 3-glucanase and chitinase increased by about 30% and 50%, as compared with CK. Therefore, these results suggested that both Nd^3＋ and La^3＋ could increase the contents of endogenous SA and its related factors which induce plant resistance through the signal pathway of the salicylic acid.

Synthesis of Metal Porphyrins Tailed with Salicylic Acid and their Interaction with Bovine Serum Albumin

A synthetic method of porphyrins tailed with salicylic substituents is described. Reaction of bromoalkoxyphenyl porphyrin 1 with salicylic acid gave porphyrins 2~5. These new compounds were confirmed by 1H NMR, IR, UV-vis, MS and elemental analysis, and observed their interaction with bovine serum albumin (BSA) in fluorescence spectrum.

Thermochemical Study on Coordination Complex of Samarium with Salicylic Acid and 8-Hydroxyquinoline

The coordination complex Sm（C7H5O2）2·（C9H6NO）, synthesized from the reaction of samarium chloride sixhydrate with salicylic acid and 8-hydroxyquinoline, was characterized with IR, elemental analysis, molar conductance, and thermogravimatric analysis. The standard molar enthalpies of solution of [ SmCl3·6H2O （s） ], [ 2C7H6O3 （s） ], [ C9H7NO （ s ） ] and [ Sm （C7H5O3） 2·（ C9H6NO ） （ s ） ] in the calorimetric solvent were determined with the solution-reaction isoperibol calorimeter at 298.15 K to be △sHm^- [ SmCl3·6H2O （s）, 298.15 K ] = - 103.98 ± 0.04 kJ·mol^-1, △sHm^- [2 C7H6O3 （s）, 298.15 K] = 16.35±0.14 kJ·mol^-1,△sHm^-[C9H7NO （s）, 298.15 K] = -6.11±0.08 kJ·mol^-1 and △sHm^-[Sm（C7H5O3）2·（C9H6NO） （s）, 298.15 K] = - 130.08 ± 0.04 kJ·mol^-1, respectively. The enthalpy was determined to be △rHm^- = 89.59 ±0.18 kJ·mol^-1 for the reaction SmCl3·6H2O（s） ＋ 2C7H6O3（s） ＋ C9H7NO（s） = Sm （C7H5O3） 2·（C9H6NO） （ s ） ＋ 3HCl （g） ＋ 6H2O （ l ）. According to the above results and the data given in literature and through Hess＇ law, the standard molar enthalpy of formation of Sin（ C7H5O3 ）2·（C9H7NO）（s） was estimated to be △rHm^- [ Sm （C7H5O3）2·（C9H6NO） （s）, 298.15 K] = - 2055.9 ± 3.03 kJ·mol^-1.

Regulatory effect of salicylic acid and methyl jasmonate supplementation on ergosterol production in Hericium erinaceus mycelia

We evaluated the biomass and ergosterol content of Hericium erinaceus mycelium, and extracellular enzyme activities in H. erinaceus liquid culture following salicylic acid（SA） and methyl jasmonic acid（Me JA）supplementation. The optimal SA concentration was100 lmoláL-1, where the highest ergosterol content of 2.33 mgág-1was obtained following 6-day cultivation with100 lmoláL-1SA supplementation, and which was significantly higher than the unsupplemented control（p ／ 0.01）. Following 4-day supplementation with50 lmoláL-1Me JA, the highest ergosterol content obtained was 1.988 mgág-1, which was 25.8 % higher than the unsupplemented control. Our data indicate that SA and Me JA supplementation improves ergosterol content in H.erinaceus mycelium.

Determination of hydroxyl radicals with salicylic acid in aqueous nitrate and nitrite solutions

The qualitative and quantitative analyses of reactive oxygen species are essential to determine their steady-state concentration and related reaction mechanisms in environmental aquatic systems. In this study, salicylic acid was employed as an innovative molecular probe of hydroxyl radical(OH) generated in aqueous nitrate and nitrite solutions through photochemical reactions. Kinetic studies showed that the steady-state concentrations of OH in aqueous NO- 3(10 mmol/L, pH=5) and NO- 2(10 mmol/L, pH=5) solutions under ultraviolet irradiation were at a same magnitude, 10 -15 mol/L. Apparent quantum yields of OH at 313 nm were measured as 0.011 and 0.07 for NO- 3 and NO- 2 respectively, all comparable to the results of previous studies.

Foliar Application of Benzothiadiazole and Salicylic Acid to Combat Sheath Blight Disease of Rice

A field study was undertaken to ascertain the effects of elicitors viz. benzothiadiazole （BTH） and salicylic acid （SA） on defense related enzymes viz. peroxidase, phenylalanine ammonia lyase, superoxide dismutase, chitinase and 13-1,3-glucanase, and phenols in rice （Pusa Basmati I） plants. First foliar spray of BTH （50 mg/kg） and SA （50 mg/kg） was done at the maximum tillering stage and inoculation with Rhizoctonia solani was carried 24 h after elicitor treatment. Elicitors were further sprayed at every growth stage. Time course analysis showed peak accumulation of defense related enzymes and phenols in the rice leaves treated with BTH and SA, and accumulation was the highest at the flowering stage. Higher enzymatic activity was observed in elicitor treated plants inoculated with R. solani. Compared to the untreated control plants, application of elicitors before R. solani inoculation significantly elicited the defense related enzymes and phenols. Moreover, application of elicitors had a positive effect on yield and disease reduction. It is suggested that pretreatment of rice leaves with BTH and SA could be used to enhance the level of protection against sheath blight and to improve rice yield in the fields.