Management of Antracnosis with Electrochemically Activated Salt Solutions (EASSs) on Bean Culture

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Electrochemically activated salt solutions (EASSs) are widely used as surface disinfecting agents with low cost and high efficiency, because they are a safe option for those having contact with the solution. Following this logic, the solutions may be useful for inhibiting pathogens affecting plants in agricultural systems. Some tests have been made in plant species such as tobacco and apple trees, where they have worked in activating plant natural defenses but also increasing plants’ growth rate. These results suggest an elicitor effect of EASSs on bean plants. In this work, we evaluated this trait by e antioxidant and enzymatic activity assays in addition to determining the inhibitory effect of EASSs on multiple microorganisms with agricultural importance. EASS treatment as an agricultural practice offers several advantages to the current production systems to develop more economically, environmentally, and healthy sustainable crop technologies. ABSTRACT: Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is an important crop for food security and for national economics for several countries worldwide. One of the most important factors of risk in common bean production is the fungal disease anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum lindemuthianum, which, in some cases, causes complete yield losses; this kind of plant disease is usually managed through the application of chemical products such as fungicides that are commonly not accepted by society. This rejection is based on the relationship of pesticides with health damage and environmental contamination. In order to help in solving these drawbacks, the present work proposes the use of electrochemically activated salt solutions (EASSs) as a safer pathogen control agent in crops, due to it having shown an elicitor and biostimulant effect on plants. With this background, this manuscript presents in vitro results of the evaluation of the inhibitory effect for multiple bean pathogens and in vivo results of EASS in the common bean–Colletotrichum pathosystem by evaluation of the infection severity and defense activation, such as secondary metabolite production and antioxidant activity. EASS presence in growth media had a strong inhibitory effect at the beginning of experiments for some of the evaluated fungi. EASSs showed an effect against the development of the disease when applied in specific doses to prevent distress in plants.