The optimal sound frequency for the inhibition of Fusarium surface rot in sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas [L.] Lam.) was selected in this study. The spores of Fusarium commune causing Fusarium surface rot was exposed from 100Hz to 15kHz to determined th...
The optimal sound frequency for the inhibition of Fusarium surface rot in sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas [L.] Lam.) was selected in this study. The spores of Fusarium commune causing Fusarium surface rot was exposed from 100Hz to 15kHz to determined the effect of frequency-specific sound waves on germination and growth of F. commune. Of the frequencies tested in F. commune, 2.4 kHz sound wave significantly inhibited spore germination and fungal growth. Furthermore, the disease rate was also most effective at 2.4 kHz, when the specific sound wave frequencies are treated on sweet potato and detached Arabidopsis thaliana leaves with inoculated fungus. I analyzed the gene expression of F. commune on the PDA media and infected Arabidopsis leaves after sound wave treatment. While the expression of germination and pathogenicity related genes of F. commune were decreased compared to the untreated group, the hormone-mediated defense genes in Arabidopsis were increased in the sound wave treated leaves. These results suggest that 2.4 kHz sound wave treatment could be used to reduce the occurrence of Fusarium surface rot on sweet potato by regulation of the expression levels fungus germination- and pathogenicity-related genes, and plant defense-related genes.
In order to investigate the effects of sound wave on the resistance of A. thaliana against F. commune, I next screened fungus disease resistant Arabidopsis T-DNA mutant lines under sound wave treatment(100 and 250Hz). From this approach, I identified T-DNA insertion sites of these mutant lines by T-DNA flanking sequencing and DNA genotyping analyses, and further confirmed four fungus disease resistant-related genes.
Taken together, these results suggest that sound wave treatment could represent an environmentally-friendly alternative to chemical fungicides and further expand our knowledge regarding the effective management of noxious fungal pathogens by a non-chemical approach such as sound wave.