Elicitors in the production of tomato crop infected with Tomato brown rugose fruit virus and Pepino mosaic virus

Abstract

Elicitors are considered sustainable alternatives for the management of phytopathogenic viruses. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of nine elicitors on morphology, yield, and fruit quality of tomato plants inoculated with the Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV-Tobamovirus/Virgaviridae), Pepino mosaic virus (PepMV-Potexvirus/Alphaflexiviridae), and mixed infection (ToBRFV + PepMV). The experiment was set up under a completely randomized design with six replicates. Ten days after transplanting, virus inoculation was done mechanically in all the treatments, except the negative controls. Three morphological, four yield, and seven fruit quality variables were evaluated. Virablock® 3G50 increased yield by more than 44% compared with the positive control in plants inoculated with ToBRFV, PepMV, and the mixed infection, while Supermagro cell extract and enhanced Supermagro increased yield in plants inoculated with ToBRFV and the mixed infection by more than 82% and 34%, respectively. Virablock® 3G50 and an ethanolic extract of Arracacia bracteata showed the highest values in fruit quality variables.