Biocontrol agents-mediated suppression of oxalic acid induced cell death during Sclerotinia sclerotiorum-pea interaction.

Oxalic acid (OA) is an important pathogenic factor during early Sclerotinia sclerotiorum-host interaction and might work by reducing hydrogen peroxide production (H2 O2 ). In the present investigation, oxalic acid-induced cell death in pea was studied. Pea plants treated with biocontrol agents (BCAs) viz., Pseudomonas aeruginosa PJHU15, Bacillus subtilis BHHU100, and Trichoderma harzianum TNHU27 either singly and/or in consortium acted on S. sclerotiorum indirectly by enabling plants to inhibit the OA-mediated suppression of oxidative burst via induction of H2 O2 . Our results showed that BCA treated plants upon treatment with culture filtrate of the pathogen, conferred the resistance via. significantly decreasing relative cell death of pea against S. sclerotiorum compared to control plants without BCA treatment but treated with the culture filtrate of the pathogen. The results obtained from the present study indicate that the microbes especially in consortia play significant role in protection against S. sclerotiorum by modulating oxidative burst and partially enhancing tolerance by increasing the H2 O2 generation, which is otherwise suppressed by OA produced by the pathogen.