The use of antioxidant compounds to control root rot disease in peas caused by Rhizoctonia solani

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Mosul, Ninevah, 41002, Iraq

2 Department of Pharmacognosy and Medicinal plants, College of Pharmacy, University of Mosul, Ninevah, 41002, Iraq.

10.22103/jab.2025.25536.1730

Abstract

Objective
This investigation evaluated the effects of the antioxidants citric acid (CA), salicylic acid (SA), and glutathione (GSH) on Rhizoctonia solani in vitro and in vivo to control root rot disease in pea plants (Pisum sativum L.).
Materials and Methods
Rhizoctonia solani was extracted from infected pea roots, purified applying the hyphal tip technique, and identified morphologically and microscopically. Root fragments were cultured on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) and incubated at 25 ± 2 °C for 7 days. CA, SA, and GSH were incorporated into PDA in 8.5 cm Petri dishes at concentrations of 0, 50, 100, and 200 mg/L. Fungal colony areas were calculated applying ImageJ software after incubation at 25 °C, and inhibition percentages were calculated. For in vivo experiments, sterile soil was inoculated with R. solani at 3 g biomass kg⁻¹ soil, two days before planting. Pea seeds were sown in pots with five replicates per treatment. Post-germination, disease incidence and harshness were documented. Peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase activities were quantified applying enzymatic assays, and total phenolic content was calculated.
Results
All antioxidant treatments inhibited R. solani growth compared to the control, with effective concentrations ranging from 50 to 200 mg/L. Salicylic acid at 200 mg/L exhibited the highest inhibitory effect, achieving 64% inhibition of fungal growth in vitro. Seed treatment with salicylic acid meaningfully reduced seed rot and root rot incidence to 8.6% and 45.7%, respectively, and root rot severity to 0.21. Antioxidant treatments improved peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase, and total phenolic content in pea plants, with salicylic acid showing the most pronounced enhancement. A negative correlation was observed between disease incidence and the activities of peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase, and total phenolic content.
Conclusion
Salicylic acid demonstrated superior effectiveness in enhancing enzymatic activities (peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase) and increasing phenolic compounds in pea plants, effectively reducing R. solani-induced root rot. These results propose that antioxidant treatments, exclusively salicylic acid, offer a hopeful approach for managing root rot in peas.

Keywords

References

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Agricultural Biotechnology Journal
Volume 17, Issue 3
August 2025
Pages 313-326

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