Application of inducing resistance might be with low doses of fungicides is better, 100-200 ppm of carbendazim effective against sclerotinia stem rot disease. For salicylic acid, I have tested 100 ppm and 300 ppm on leaves of okra against Sclerotinia, I have found that 100 ppm was the best dose.
Systemic Acquired Resistance (SAR) is plant defense a mechanism of induced defense that confers long-lasting protection against a broad spectrum of microorganisms & pest. Presently disease control is largely based on the use of hazardous chemicals viz., fungicides, bactericides and insecticides for either direct or indirect disease management. The hazardous natures of the products on the environment, human and animal health strongly necessitates to search for new safer means of disease control. SAR have high potential to diminish the use of toxic chemicals in the agriculture and has emerged as an alternative, non-conventional, non-biocidal and eco-friendly approach for plant protection and hence for sustainable agriculture. SAR requires the signal molecule salicylic acid (SA) and is associated with accumulation of pathogenesis-related proteins, which are thought to contribute to resistance
Plants do not have an immune system; however, they have developed unique defense mechanisms against the attack of microorganisms. Systemic acquired resistance (SAR) and induced systemic resistance (ISR) are the representative disease-resistance mechanisms in plants [1,2,] SAR is induced by the activation of a salicylic acid (SA) signaling pathway in response to infection by parasitic pathogens[3,4]. ISR is caused by plant growth-promoting bacteria in the ethylene- and jasmonic acid (JA)-signaling pathway[1,2]. Therefore, SA, JA and ethylene are known as signal molecules of disease resistance against some pathogens in plants [5–7]. Plant activators (PAs) are chemical inducers of systemic and continuous disease resistance in plants without fungicidal activity. Acibenzolar-S-methyl (ASM) [7], probenazole (PBZ, Oryzemate®) [8] and tinanidil (TDL, V-Get®) [9,10] are PAs and PBZ has been used to control rice blast in Japan since 19741 . PAs activate SAR, and therefore, they are expected to control a broad range of plant diseases without the emergence of fungicidal-resistant strains [1].
References
1. Arie, T. & Nakashita, H. (2007) Plant activator. Shokubutsu boeki (Plant Protection), 61, 531–536 [In Japanese]
2. Dong, X. (1998) SA, JA, ethylene and disease resistance in plants. Cur., Opin. Plant. Biol., 1, 316–323
3. Oostendorp, M. et al. (2001) Induced disease resistance in plants by chemical. Eur. J. Plant Pathol., 107, 19–28
4. Ryal, J. A. et al. (1996) Systemic acquired resistance. Plant Cell, 8, 1809–1819
5. Thomma, B. P. H. J. et al. (1998) Separate jasmonate-dependent and salicylate-dependent defense response pathway in Arabidopsis are essential for resistance to distinct microbial pathogens. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 95, 15107–15111.
6. Vallad, G. E. & Goodman, R. M. (2004) Systemic acquired resistance and induced systemic resistance in conventional agriculture. Crop Sci., 44, 1920–1934.
7. Vijayan, P. et al. (1998) A role for jasmonate in pathogen defense of Arabidopsis. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 95, 7209–7214
8. Yoshioka, K. et al. (2001) Probenazole induces systemic acquired resistance in Arabidopsis with a novel type of action. Plant J., 25, 149–157.
9. Yasuda, M. et al. (2004) Tianidil, a novel class of activators of systemic acquired resistance, induces defense gene expression and disease resistance in tobacco. J. Pestic. Sci., 29, 46–49.
10. Yasuda, M. et al. (2006) Thiadiazole carboxylic acid moiety of tiadinil, SV-03, induces systemic acquired resistance in tobacco without salicylic acid accumulation. J. Pestic. Sci., 31, 329–334