Suppression of grey mould on strawberry fruit with the chemical plant activator acibenzolar

Grey mould caused by Botrytis cinerea is the most important post-harvest di sease affecting strawberry fruit. This disease is normally controlled by ap plication of fungicides. Increasing public concern over the use of conventi onal pesticides prompted an investigation as to whether induced systemic ac quired resistance (SAR) might be used to help suppress B cinerea: on strawb erry fruit. Acibenzolar (S-methyl benzo[1,2,3]thiadiazole-7-carbothioate) i s a chemical activator of SAR. When applied to strawberry plants at 0.25-2. 0 mg AT ml(-1), acibenzolar delayed by about 2 days the development of grey mould disease on harvested strawberry fruit held at 5 degreesC. This delay was equivalent to a 15-20% increase in storage life of the fruit. This pre liminary finding suggests that acibenzolar, or perhaps other chemical plant activators, could prove valuable in the commercial management of grey moul d on strawberry fruit. (C) 2000 Society of Chemical Industry.