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Uncovering the biofumigant capacity of allyl isothiocyanate from several Brassicaceae crops against Fusarium pathogens in maize
Author(s) -
Vandicke Jonas,
De Visschere Katrien,
Deconinck Sofie,
Leenknecht Diederik,
Vermeir Pieter,
Audenaert Kris,
Haesaert Geert
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of the science of food and agriculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1097-0010
pISSN - 0022-5142
DOI - 10.1002/jsfa.10599
Subject(s) - allyl isothiocyanate , brassica , brassicaceae , biology , fusarium , agronomy , brassica carinata , crop , mustard seed , cultivar , allelopathy , mycelium , brassica rapa , horticulture , botany , germination , biochemistry
BACKGROUND Driven by environmental concerns, chemical fumigants are no longer allowed in many countries. Therefore, other strategies for reducing fungal inoculum in soils and on crop debris are being explored. In the present study, several Brassicaceae crops were screened for their potential to control Fusarium gramineaum and Fusarium poae mycelial growth in an in vitro inverted Petri dish experiment. Volatile production was measured using gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry headspace analysis. A selection of cultivars from each crop species was further investigated using a pot experiment with maize. RESULTS Ethiopian mustard ( Brassica carinata ) and brown mustard ( Brassica juncea ) released volatile allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) and a higher concentration of AITC was correlated with a better fungal growth reduction in the in vitro screening. Brown mustard cultivar Etamine completely inhibited growth of both Fusarium spp. Pure AITC in a solution with methanol resulted in a sigmoid dose–response curve for both Fusarium spp. tested. Fusarium poae appeared to be more tolerant to AITC than F. graminearum . A pot experiment revealed that the incorporation of brown mustard plant material could alleviate the clear negative effect of F. graminearum infection on maize growth. CONCLUSION The present study demonstrated the correlation between the fungistatic effect of biofumigation crops on Fusarium spp. and their production of volatile AITC in vitro , without the addition of exogenous enzymes, and confirmed the biofumigation potential of brown mustard in a pot experiment with maize. These results may help farmers when selecting a green manure crop suitable for biofumigation. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry