Studying the ability of pravastatin to protect spring barley plants from the helminthosporium root-rot

Use of natural compounds against phytopathogenic microorganisms instead of chemicals is regarded as the safer approach to protect environment, consumers and the staff. Previously in the laboratory tests, the Pravastatin, an inhibitor of sterol biosynthesis, was shown to prevent development of helminthosporium root rot, caused by Bipolaris sorokiniana, in spring barley seedlings. Further to this, we studied the protective effect of Pravastatin against B. sorokiniana in test field (Moscow Province). Before sowing, the spring barley (variety Zazerskii 85) seeds, naturally infected with B. sorokiniana, were treated with Pravastatin (0.05, 0.075 и 0.1 % for 24 hours). The pre-sowing examination of untreated naturally infected seeds showed the plant damage by helminthosporium root rot at 8.9 % and the disease severity at 36.8 %. Small-plot field trials showed that treatments of spring barley seeds with soaking in 0.075 or 0.1 % Pravastatin solutions for 24 hours before their sowing decreased the number of plans damaged by B. sorokiniana, as well as reduced the disease severity. The maximal protective effect was produced by Pravastatin at the concentration of 0.1 %. It was also found that seed treatments with Pravastatin at all tested concentrations did not influence negatively on the seed germinating capacity or density of planting at the tillering stage (phase 29). In addition, seed soaking in a 0.1 % Pravastatin solution resulted in increase of productive stem number at the stage of milky-wax ripeness (phase 83).