Volatile Organic Compounds as a Biofumigation Tool against Late Blight Pathogen in Postharvest Potato Tubers.

We tested the ability of 14 strains of to emit volatile compounds that decreased or stopped the growth of . Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from strains designated T41 and T45 inhibited the mycelial growth of grown on a laboratory medium by 80 and 81.4%, respectively, and on potato tubers by 93.1 and 94.1%, respectively. Using the DNA sequence analysis of the translation elongation factor region, both strains were identified as . VOCs emitted by the strains were analyzed, and 39 compounds were identified. The most abundant compounds were 3-methyl-1-butanol, 6-pentyl-2-pyrone, 2-methyl-1-propanol, and acetoin. Electron microscopy of the hyphae treated with VOCs revealed serious morphological and ultrastructural damages, including cell deformation, collapse, and degradation of cytoplasmic organelles. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing the ability of VOCs to suppress the growth of the late blight potato pathogen.