Evaluation of acibenzolar-S-methyl for the control of Meloidogyne javanica and effects on the development of susceptible and resistant soybean

The aim of this study was to evaluate the activity of elicitor, acibenzolar-S-methyl (ASM), in inducing resistance to Meloidogyne javanica in soybean and in enhancing plant development. Plantlets of the soybean susceptible cultivar BRSMT-Pintado and the resistant cultivar MG/BR 46 Conquista were treated with ASM (0.5 g/L) at three different times: seven days before, one day before and seven days after inoculation with 2000 eggs/plant. Untreated inoculated plants and untreated non-inoculated plants were used as controls. Sixty days after inoculation, the number of galls, eggs/g root and vegetative parameters (height, aerial part fresh and dry mass and root fresh mass) were evaluated. The experiments were conducted over two different periods (Experiments 1 and 2). Only in Experiment 2 treatment "seven days before inoculation" reduced the number of eggs/g root, irrespective of the cultivar evaluated, but the number of galls was not affected. Stronger plant development was observed in the susceptible soybean cultivar treated seven days before inoculation in Experiment 2.