Resumen

CERVANTES JUAN, María Magdalena et al. Amaranth cystatin prevents and controls early blight in tomato. Rev. Mex. Cienc. Agríc [online]. 2020, vol.11, n.3, pp.567-580.  Epub 30-Ago-2021. ISSN 2007-0934.  https://doi.org/10.29312/remexca.v11i3.2066.

Early blight is a disease caused by Alternaria alternata in tomato and other vegetables. This fungus affects the leaves, stem bases and fruits, causing economic losses. Different fungicides are currently used to control fungal diseases; however, these increase production costs and pose a risk to health and the environment. Therefore, the use of biological products, including phytocystatins, represent an attractive alternative for the control of plant diseases. Phytocystatins are widely distributed proteins in plants, which inhibit the activity of cysteine-like proteases and affect the growth and development of some phytopathogenic fungi. Preliminary work showed in vitro tests that amaranth cystatin produced recombinantly in Escherichia coli, inhibited the growth and development of some phytopathogenic fungi, including Alternaria alternata. In the present work, the effect of foliar application of amaranth cystatin in the prevention and control of early blight in tomato plants was determined. Greenhouse tests carried out in the municipalities of Irapuato and Celaya, in the state of Guanajuato (Mexico), during 2018, show that the foliar application of amaranth cystatin (168 µg and 335 µg of cystatin/plant) prevents and controls the development of blight early in different tomato varieties in crops under commercial greenhouse production. These results show the potential of cystatin in the control of fungal diseases.

Palabras llave : Alternaria sp.; Solanum lycopersicum L.; phytocystatins.