Metabolic alteration induced by Botrytis allii in two onion cuitivars with different resistances to neck rot

Disease index, dry weight loss and leakage of K⁺ ions in the tissues of two onion cultivars demonstrated that the red cultivar Tropeana had a greater susceptibility to neck rot caused by Botrytis allii than the white cultivar Rovato. The comparison between the cultivars showed that the less susceptible one was characterized by lower polygalacturonase activity (with fewer isoenzyine forms), more rapid accumulation of phenolic compounds in the early stages and faster activation of peroxidase. Polyphenoloxidase was not found in either the healthy or the diseased tissues of the two cultivars. The significance of these findings is discussed in relation to possible host defence mechanisms.