Control of wheat seedling blight caused by F.graminearum through seeds priming with salicylic acid

Fusarium seedling blight is a disease of cereal crops caused by a group of trichothecene producing Fusarium species such as Fusarium graminearum. Control of seedling blight has received less attention than control of Fusarium head blight. Application of chemicals which activate plant defense mechanisms before pathogen attack without environmental side effects of protective chemical agents have stimulated great deal of researches in this area. Hence in this study, the effect of seed priming with salicylic acid on Fusarium seedling blight incidence and severity was investigated. According to our results seed priming with salicylic acid improved wheat defense against Fusarium seedling blight in both cultivars. Salicylic acid treatment induced chitiniase gene expression in both cultivars as compared to their controls; however, this increase was much higher in salicylic acid treated Falat than salicylic acid treated Sumai3. Based on the results, increase in gene and protein expression of chitinase could induce host resistance against Fusarium seedling blight caused by F.graminearum.