Additive effect of alternative treatment to chemical control of Botrytis cinerea in blueberries

The blueberry crop is mainly attacked by the phytopathogen Botrytis cinerea, being very aggressive for this plant, showing resistance to synthetic fungicides. Non-chemical alternatives such as chitosan and salicylic acid have been proposed for its control. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the combination of these compounds for the control of Botrytis cinerea. The in vitro evaluation showed percentages of fungal growth inhibition of 60% and 100% inhibition of sporulation and germination of the phytopathogen. The micrographs showed damage to fungal structures of B. cinerea under the application of the treatments due to the additive effect demonstrated by combining chitosan and salicylic acid. Likewise, there was a great reactivity when combining these compounds, favoring the attack on the phytopathogen and increasing the in vivo effect by reducing the decomposition rate of blueberries by 60% compared to the control.

Keywords: B. cinerea, blueberry, chitosan, salicylic acid.