Abstract
Botrytis cinerea fruit rot is a major concern for strawberry growers worldwide and fungicides are still widely used to control it. Large-scale agriculture and concomitant active use of pesticides are major human health and environmental hazards. Novel alternatives are needed to strike the right balance between yield and fresh produce quality. This study set out to investigate how a natural elicitor, phenylalanine (Phe), affects disease resistance in strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa cultivar ‘Gariguette’). Phe (10 mM) was sprayed before harvest at two different phenological stages (early or late), or on fruit after harvest. The treated fruit was stored under postharvest conditions (7 °C, 70 % relative humidity) and assessed for their resistance to B. cinerea, along with conservation qualities and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activity. All the treatments carried out improved the resistance of stored fruit to B. cinerea. Inducing resistance did not lead to any changes in the storage quality criteria studied, such as acidity, Brix, water loss, firmness or color. In an attempt to explain improved resistance to B. cinerea, PAL activity was measured and was shown to increase in leaves 24 h after early treatment. This study revealed the effectiveness of Phe treatment on strawberry susceptibility to B. cinerea, without affecting shelf life. However, further trials are needed to optimize the application time and gain a better understanding of the biochemical mechanisms involved.