Induced resistance: a strategy for the control of grape downy mildew?

Summary

A desirable goal not only in organic viticulture is the application of ecologically harmless active agents for the control of fungal diseases. A potentially successful approach to inhibit growth and propagation of the pathogens is the induction of the plant's defence mechanisms through application of suitable compounds. Screening to identify potential elicitors might be facilitated by using model systems. Therefore a glucanase-promoter/reporter system in transgenic grape cell culture was established, to analyze potential inducers of PR-protein transcripts.
In assays with floating leaf-discs structural analogs of the highly effective 3-aminobutyric acid (BABA) and other amino acids were tested with regard to the inhibition of Plasmopara sporulation. Except BABA however no other comparably effective compounds could be found that also work in intact plants until now.