Cultivar-Dependent Responses of Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) to Simultaneous Verticillium dahliae Infection and Drought

Abstract

Several studies regarding the imposition of stresses simultaneously in plants have shown that plant responses are different under individual and combined stress. Pathogen infection in combination with drought can act both additively and antagonistically, suggesting a tailored-made plant response to these stresses. The aforementioned combination of stresses can be considered as one of the most important factors affecting global crop production. In the present research we studied eggplant responses to simultaneous Verticillium dahliae infection and drought with respect to the application of the individual stresses alone and investigated the extent to which these responses were cultivar dependent. Two eggplant cultivars (Skoutari and EMI) with intermediate resistance to V. dahliae were subjected to combined stress for a 3-week period. Significant differences in plant growth, several physiological and biochemical parameters (photosynthesis rate, leaf gas exchanges, Malondialdehyde, Proline) and gene expression, were found between plants subjected to combined and individual stresses. Furthermore, plant growth and molecular (lipid peroxidation, hydrogen peroxide, gene expression levels) changes highlight a clear discrimination between the two cultivars in response to simultaneous V. dahliae infection and drought. Our results showed that combined stress affects significantly plants responses compared to the application of individual stresses alone and that these responses are cultivar dependent.

Genetic parameters of drought tolerance for agromorphological traits in eggplant, wild relatives, and interspecific hybrids

“…In addition, for each agromorphological character, drought tolerance scores of parental accessions and F 1 hybrid progenies were significantly different. Thus it appears, as reported by other authors, that effects of water deficit on plants are organ dependent (Tambe, Kusalkar, Shinde, & Shinde, 2019) and genotype dependent (Delfin et al, 2013;Plazas, Vilanova, et al, 2016;Plazas et al, 2019;Tani et al, 2018). Interspecific hybrids MEL1 × INS2, MEL4 × INS3, MEL6 × ANG1, and MEL6 × DAS1, as well as the accession SIS1, exhibited drought tolerance with respect to vegetative growth traits and floral characteristics.…”

Differential expression of IDA (INFLORESCENCE DEFICIENT IN ABSCISSION)-like genes in Nicotiana benthamiana during corolla abscission, stem growth and water stress

“…The detachment of the corolla is due to the dissolution of the middle lamella and apparently to the disintegration of the parenchymal cells in its basal zone, a process that results in the detachment of the senescent corolla. Furthermore, the effect of water stress on the species of this contrasted genus has been the subject of major research and the physiological responses of these plants are also well known [26][27][28][29].…”

Investigation of resistance to Verticillium wilt disease (Verticillium dahliae Kleb.) in eggplant genotypes

“…(VT), is one of the most important plant diseases that limits production in the eggplant cultivation areas of our country (Altınok et al 2012, Derviş et al 2009, Uslu-Kıran et al 2007. It has been reported that there may be over 50% product losses in production areas where the disease is observed (Bletsos et al 2003, Neshev et al 1997, Tani et al 2018. V. dahliae was first reported in 1970 as a wilt pathogen of eggplant in Turkey (Kamal and Saydam 1970).…”