Z. ABBES1, M. MKADMI1, I. TRABELSI1, M. AMRI2 and M. KHARRAT1,3
1 Carthage University, Field Crop Laboratory, National Institute for Agricultural Research of Tunisia (INRAT), 2080 Ariana, Tunisia
2 Carthage University, Field Crop Laboratory, Regional Field Crop Research Center of Beja (CRRGC), Route de Tunis,9000 Beja, Tunisia
3 ICARDA Rabat Office, Av. Mohamed Belarbi Alaoui, Rabat Institute, Rabat, Morocco
ABBES, Z., M. MKADMI, I. TRABELSI, M. AMRI and M. KHARRAT, 2014. Orobanche foetida control in faba bean by foliar application of Benzothiadiazole (BTH) and salicylic acid. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 20: 1439-1443
Orobanche foetida is considered as an important agricultural problem of faba bean production in Tunisia. The effect of salicylic acid SA and 1, 2, 3-Benzothiadiazole-7-carbothioic acid, S-methyl ester (BTH) as foliar application on the induction of faba bean resistance to O. foetida was studied. Foliar application of 1 mM SA or 0.05 g/l BTH reduced broomrape infection under controlled conditions in pot and Petri dish experiments. In pot experiment, SA and BTH applications reduced the total number of faba bean broomrape by 46.45% and 77.06%, respectively, and the dry weight of broomrape by 47.03% and 70.3%, respectively. In Petri dish experiment, O. foetida seed germination was reduced by 33.8% and 48.3%, respectively. Foliar application of SA and BTH demonstrate that the induced resistance to O. foetida is systemic. These results demonstrate that SAR is capable of being an important method to control broomrapes and to form an integrated control strategy leading to reduce soil infestation by Orobanche.