6-Benzylaminopurine inhibits growth of Monilinia fructicola and induces defense-related mechanism in peach fruit

This study demonstrated the inhibitory effect of 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP), the first generation synthetic cytokinin, on the invasion of Monilinia fructicola in peach fruit and the possible mechanism involved for the first time. Our results suggested that BAP treatment had a 63% lower disease incidence and approximately 10 times lower lesion diameter compared to the control throughout the incubation period. In vitro BAP showed a direct inhibitory effect on M. fructicola spore germination. BAP could prevent fruit texture deterioration and protect the cell membrane from oxidative stress, while no adverse effects were observed on fruit quality maintenance. Analysis of defense-related enzymes activities indicated that the use of BAP induced higher specific polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase activities which triggered stronger host defensive responses. Thus, our results verified the proposed mechanism of BAP in controlling M. fructicola by direct inhibitory effect, delay peach senescence and activation of defensive enzymes.