Effectiveness of saccharin and ulvan as resistance inducers against rust and angular leaf spot in bean plants (Phaseolus vulgaris)

The present work aimed to study the effect of saccharin and ulvan against rust in artificially inoculated plants and against both rust and angular leaf spot (ALS) in naturally infected bean plants. In the greenhouse, bean plants of cv. Guará (susceptible) and FT-line (rust resistant) at first trifoliate leaf stage were sprayed with saccharin (0.24 mg mL−1) or ulvan (1 or 10 mg mL−1), and inoculated with Uromyces appendiculatus six days after spray. Both compounds provided an intermediary level of protection. They reduced at a similar extent the number, diameter and particularly sporulation of rust pustules in susceptible plants, suggesting that mechanisms of resistance operate at latter stages of fungus colonization. Three follow-up experiments were carried out under natural infection conditions during the spring 2009 and 2010, and summer/autumn 2010. ALS was observed during all three outdoor pot experiments, whereas rust occurred only during the spring 2009 and 2010. Saccharin sprayed every 14 days was able to protect bean plants against rust during the three experiments, whereas significantly reduced ALS only during summer/autumn and spring 2010. On the other hand, ulvan at a reduced dose rate (1 mg mL−1) did not affect significantly the epidemiological development of both diseases. Increase in seed weight was observed when saccharin-treated plants were infected after pre-flowering, but not when rust infection occurred earlier. Possible reasons why such trade-offs can be obtained in certain circumstances are discussed.

► Defense responses related to saccharin- and ulvan-induced resistance.
► Saccharin- and ulvan-induced resistance operate at later stages of rust infection.
► First report of saccharin-induced resistance against a necrotrophic pathogen.