The effects of two phytohormones in Medicagotruncatula plants infected with Macrophomina phaseolina

Abstract

Macrophomina phaseolina is a soil-borne fungal pathogen that causes a disease known as charcoal rot. This fungal infection dramatically decreases the crops’ yield due to loss in biomass, low seed quality and plant death. Currently, there is not an effective method for managing this disease. Jasmonate and ethylene are two phytohormones that are important for triggering biotic and abiotic stress responses in plants, therefore, we propose to study the effect of these two hormones on Medicagotruncatula plants infected with Macrophomina. Our results indicate that jasmonate or ethylene slightly increase the resistance of Medicago to Macrophomina. This investigation may lead to the development of chemical treatments that will help to reduce or avoid the disease symptoms caused by M. phaseolina.