In vitro evaluation of berries of various Vitis genotypes for disease resistance to Botrytis cinerea

Abstract

Berries of 41 Vitis genotypes were evaluated for resistance to B. cinerea. Evaluation revealed that four genotypes were highly resistant (HR), eight resistant (R), eighteen susceptible (S) and eleven highly susceptible (HS). We further evaluated HR genotype 'Dong fang zhi xing' and HS genotype 'Gold finger' by comparing the fungal growth, reactive oxygen species (ROS) responses, jasmonic acid (JA) levels, anti-oxidants, e.g., Peroxidase (POD), Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and Malondialhydrate (MDA) content changes after infection with B. cinerea. Our results confirmed that the elevated resistance of 'Dong fang zhi xing' was due to weak fungal development, low ROS production, timely elevation of anti-oxidative functions, and high JA levels. Moreover, HS 'Gold finger' infection was severe and sustained ROS production which may be due to its relatively unchanged anti-oxidative activities and low JA level. Our results could help grape breeders to select suitable germplasm for future research work.