Effectiveness of silicon and silicate salts for controlling black root rot and induced pathogenesis-related protein of strawberry plants

Abstract

Complete inhibition of fungal linear growth was observed with 4 and 6 g/l for R. solani and F. solani, respectively, in the laboratory. Under field conditions, all tested concentrations significantly reduced the disease incidence and severity. The highest reduction of such disease incidence and severity was obtained with potassium silicate and calcium silicate applied separately as soil treatment combined with foliar sprays which reduced the disease incidence and severity by 92.7 and 91.9, and 91.7 and 91.1%, respectively. The highest yield increase, i.e., 77.1 and 72.8%, was obtained with potassium silicate and calcium silicate, respectively, applied as soil treatment + foliar spray. Results indicated that 8 to 12 new protein patterns (bands) appeared in the tested treatments.