Effect of arachidonic acid elicitation on lettuce resistance towards Botrytis cinerea

• Arachidonic acid elicitation induced lettuce resistance against Botrytis cinerea.
• Induction of resistance in lettuce plants is associated with activation some defence enzymes.
• Elicitation with arachidonic acid may be an alternative to the conventional method for the protection of lettuce plants against Botrytis cinerea.

Elicitation with arachidonic acid (AA) caused a significant increase in guaiacol peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase and protease activities in lettuce leaves and also resulted in elevated resistance of lettuce to the fungal pathogen (Botrytis cinerea). Research taken on this study indicates that AA induces mechanisms for the acquisition of resistance by lettuce. This observation explains why elicitation with this compound may provide an alternative to the conventional method for the protection of this vegetable against Botrytis cinerea.