Volatile Organic Compounds:a new tool to control barley pathogens?

Barley is threatened by various edaphic fungal diseases. In particular, common root rot caused by Fusarium culmorum and Cochliobolus sativus is causing between 9 and 23 % of yield losses. Today, since most of the chemicals used for crop protection are being forbidden, there is a growing need of sustainable ways to control these diseases.
A recent study has shown that barley roots infected by common root rot emitted 23 Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) that were not emitted by healthy barley roots. In addition it was shown that the blend of these molecules negatively impacted the growth of the two fungi.
The main objective of the present study was to determine which VOCs of the blend were the most efficient in this growth reduction, and to understand their mode of action.
We have found that methyl propionate (MP) and methyl acrylate (MA) reduced significantly the development of the two fungi in vitro. We also observed an inhibition of the spores’ germination in the presence of the two esters.
The effect of the two molecules on infected barley seeds was also tested. We have observed that the plants coming from the seeds in contact with the VOCs did not develop symptoms of the disease.
The antifungal and antibacterial activity of these VOCs on a wider range of fungal and bacterial diseases was also tested in vitro with success
The two esters that we have studied could thus be an interesting starting point in the development of a sustainable way to control barley’s diseases.