Biological control of<i>Botrytis cinerea</i>causing grey mould disease of grapevine and elicitation of stilbene phytoalexin (resveratrol) by a soil bacterium

Abstract

Botrytis cinerea Pers. was found to be highly pathogenic to the grapevine plant, producing the characteristic grey mould symptoms within 7 days of inoculation on vitroplants. A bacterial strain, isolated from soil, belonging to the genus Bacillus was found to be an antagonist of this disease causing fungus. The fungal attack on the grapevine acts as an elicitor to the production of phytoalexines like resveratrol. This compound was also formed when the leaves of the grapevine vitroplants were inoculated with the bacteria alone, and this activity was enhanced when a mixture of the pathogen and the antagonist bacteria was applied. Since resveratrol in wine is considered to be beneficial to human health provided moderate consumption, this bacteria can be used as a potential biological control agent as well as a biological elicitor of resveratrol. The article includes the details of the fungal parasite, its biological control and resveratrol elicitation.