Induction of Pathogenesis Related Proteins and Phenol in Chickpea Plants Treated with Bio-Agents in Response to Infection by Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciceri

Abstract

Soil and seed treatments with bio-agents, bio root care (BRC), non pathogenic Fusarium oxysporum (NFo) and Rhizobium leguminisarum (R.l) indicated induced acquired resistance against Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciceri (Foc) in chickpea plants. This induced resistance was manifested by the accumulation of phenols and pathogenesis related protein in treated plants compared with control treatments (BRC, NFo and R.l and plants inoculated with the pathogen alone and untreated plants). Significantly (p=0.05), the highest rate of accumulation of phenols, 286.5µg gfw^-1 and peroxidase activity, 68.3min^-1 gfw^-1 when soil was treated with NFo before inoculation with Foc compared with  other test treatments. Maximum accumulation of phenols, 228.0 µg gfw^-1 was at day 5 after Foc inoculation, and maximum peroxidase activity 62.3 min^-1 gfw^-1 was at day 4 after Foc inoculation. The highest rate of phenylalanine ammonia lyase activity was scored when seeds were treated with BRC and NFo with no significant differences. PAL activity was 139.6 for BRC and 141.3 nM cinnamic acid min^-1 gfw^-1 for NFo and scored maximum activity of 99.7 nM cinnamic acid min^-1 gfw^-1 at day 5 after Foc inoculation. The highest rate of glucanase activity was 33.5 µM min^-1 gfw^-1 when seeds were treated with BRC compared with other test treatments and scored maximum activity of 29.0 and 29.5 µM min.^-1 gfw^-1 at day 4 and 5, respectively, after Foc inoculation.