Effects of Fruit and Pollen Exudates on Growth of Botrytis cinerea and Infection of Plum and Nectarine Fruit

Sugars in exudates from Harry Pickstone plum and Sunlite nectarine fruit and from pollen of weeds commonly found in orchards were determined by gas-liquid chromatography, and their effect on the development of Botrytis cinerea was determined in vitro and in vivo. Fructose, glucose, and sorbitol were the only sugars detected in exudates of immature fruit. They occurred at low concentrations, but their concentration generally increased as fruit ripened. Sucrose was first detected during maturation. In nectarine, an increase in sugar concentration, especially sucrose, was pronounced during the period of rapid cell enlargement, which occurred approximately 2 weeks before harvest. Absorbance readings of culture media amended with sugar indicated that the hexose sugars (fructose and glucose) and sucrose did not markedly influence growth of B. cinerea at concentrations below 0.22 and 0.12 mM, respectively. The hexose sugars caused a steady increase in growth when supplied at concentrations in excess of 0.44 mM, and sucrose caused a steady increase in growth at 0.23 mM. The stimulatory effect of fruit exudates on growth of B. cinerea on glass slides coincided with the period of rapid sugar release from the fruit and the shift in susceptibility to decay. Only fructose (1.72 mM) and glucose (0.72 mM) were detected in nectarine pollen exudates. Pollen exudates from weeds stimulated fungal growth and significantly increased the aggressiveness of the pathogen on plum and nectarine fruit when added to conidia during the last 4 weeks prior to the picking-ripe stage. The study showed that changes in the composition of nectarine and plum fruit exudates may contribute to the late-season susceptibility of these fruit to B. cinerea infection.