A group from the Universidad de Málaga manages to reduce lesions from the fungus Botrytis cinerea by up to 50% with a single application of double-stranded RNA.
InforMálaga newsroom
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Photo: Universidad de Málaga · Sala de prensa
A single spray of double-stranded RNA on the plant reduces the lesions caused by the fungus Botrytis cinerea, the one that causes grey mould, by up to 40-50% at the point of maximum efficacy and maintains the effect for 14 days. The research group Rational Design of Plant Protection Products, from the Department of Microbiology of the University of Málaga, has verified this in trials on tomato leaves and apple fruits.
The finding matters because this fungus is among the main threats to numerous horticultural crops and its ability to develop resistance to fungicides is compromising the efficacy of the available treatments. The strategy studied, known as spray-induced gene silencing (SIGS), does not act only on the growth of the pathogen: it weakens one of the mechanisms that allow it to survive the treatments.
From the laboratory to the plant
The team first evaluated, in vitro, two RNA molecules directed against the Bcmrr1 and BcatrB genes, separately and combined. Both reduced spore germination by between 40 and 60%, but the one directed against Bcmrr1 gave a more consistent and stable response, so it was selected for the subsequent tests. In these, the development of the lesions, the biomass of the fungus in the plant tissue and the expression of the target genes were measured.
The treatment significantly reduced the development of the fungus in tomato leaves, with smaller lesion size and lower biomass, and the effect was also confirmed in apple fruits. In addition, the combination with reduced doses of the fungicide fludioxonil increased the efficacy against multiresistant isolates and, in some cases, reached levels of inhibition similar to those of higher doses of the fungicide.
The high conservation of the Bcmrr1 gene within the genus Botrytis made it possible to extend the trials to other species, with a reduction in growth and germination also in B. fragariae and B. pseudocinerea. The results have been published in the scientific journal Plant Disease.
According to the researcher from the Department of Microbiology and the Institute of Subtropical and Mediterranean Horticulture La Mayora (UMA-CSIC) Dolores Fernández Ortuño, the next step will be to optimize the application of this technology, improving aspects such as the formulation or its stability.
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