Potassium Phosphite Activates Components Associated with Constitutive Defense Responses in Coffea arabica Cultivars
Priscilla de Fátima Pereira Silva1, Mário Lúcio Vilela de Resende2, Tharyn Reichel1
1Department of Phytopathology, Federal University of Lavras, Trevo Rotatório Professor Edmir Sá Santos, Lavras, Minas Gerais, CEP 37203-202, Brazil.
Abstract:
Phosphites have been used as inducers of resistance, activating the defense of plants and increasing its ability to respond to the invasion of the pathogen. However, the mode of action of phosphites in defense responses has not yet been fully elucidated. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of potassium phosphite (KPhi) in coffee cultivars with different levels of resistance to rust to clarify the mechanism by which KPhi activates the constitutive defense of plants. To this end, we studied the expression of genes and the activity of enzymes involved in the defense pathway of salicylic acid (SA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS), in addition to the levels of total soluble phenolic compounds and soluble lignin. Treatment with KPhi induced constitutive defense responses in cultivars resistant and susceptible to rust. The results suggest that KPhi acts in two parallel defense pathways, SA and ROS, which are essential for the induction of systemic acquired resistance (SAR) when activated simultaneously. The activation of the mechanisms associated with defense routes demonstrates that KPhi is a potential inducer of resistance in coffee plants.
Related Concept Videos
Cell Signaling in Plants
Defenses Against Pathogens and Herbivores
C4 Pathway and CAM
C4 Pathway
The C4 pathway is used by plants such as...
Responses to Heat and Cold Stress
Plant Hormones
Regulation of Transpiration by Stomata


