One of many
ways to suppress banana wilt disease (Fusarium - fungal soil pathogen) is to
apply salicylic acid (SA - plant hormone).
Acid levels are positively correlated with a much lesser degree of corm
discoloration. SA plays a defensive role against the pathogen (Fusarium). The mechanism is the upstream signal pathway
of SA being activated to suppress the pathogen. Wang et al. found significant increases in SA
in resistant cultivars treated with the pathogen. Also, exogenous SA application increases
endogenous SA levels by inducing gene expression to increase defense against
the disease. Increased gene expression
of SA levels and SA biosynthesis will provide resistance against the pathogen.
(From Wang et al., 2015) The banana plantlet inoculated with the pathogen (Fusarium) and salicylic acid (SA) showed much less corm discoloration compared to the plantlet inoculated with the Fusarium only. Also, the plantlet treated with SA+ Foc TR4 showed no visible discoloration of the leaves compared to the control.
Article
from;
Wang, Z.,
Jia, C.H., Li, J.Y., Huang, S.Z., Xu, B.Y., and Jin, Z.Q. (2015) Activation of
salicyclic acid metabolism and signal transduction can enhance resistance to
Fusarium wilt in banana (Musa acuminata L. AAA group, cv. Cavendish). Funct Integr Genomics. 15,
47-62.
Could a plant that naturally produces salicylic acid be used either as a compost or planted around the banana plants?
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