ABSTRACT Ramulosis (Colletotrichum gossypii South var. cephalosporioides Costa) is a fungal disease of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) that causes damage to leaves, stems, and bolls by reducing fiber production; it can be controlled by chemical fungicides. Geraniol is a monoterpenoid produced by some aromatic plant species whose fungicidal properties have been widely reported. Geraniol synthase (GES; EC 3.1.7.11) is the precursor enzyme involved in the biosynthetic chain of geraniol. Geraniol synthase (ges) gene transcripts were prospected in 11 aromatic species with molecular and phytopathological tools to identify promising accessions for further use in in vitro and in vivo assays involving the control of cotton ramulosis. Menthapulegium L. oil highly expressed ges and inhibited fungal growth at 1000 (L L-1 in an in vitro assay. Validation assays were carried out in two environments and M. pulegium at 2000 (L L-1 reduced the initial and final severity indices of the disease to 48% and 52%, respectively, in preventive treatments; in curative assays, indices were 44% and 54%, respectively. This indicates that it is a promising bioactive compound to control cotton ramulosis.

Cinco descritores bioquímicos foram avaliados em algodoeiro infectados com o fungo causador da ramulose visando detectar respostas associadas à infecção. Sementes de quatro cultivares com diferentes níveis de resistência à doença foram semeadas em vasos plásticos, em casa de vegetação. Vinte dias após a emergência, as plântulas foram inoculadas com uma suspensão de 1 x 10(6) conídios/mL de Colletotrichum gossypii var. cephalosporioides. Folhas foram coletadas aos 3, 15 e 30 dias após a inoculação e utilizadas para determinação de prolina livre, catalase, peroxidase, carboidratos solúveis e proteínas totais. Verificou-se que os teores de prolina livre, peroxidase e catalase foram discriminadores na reação de plantas infectadas. Estes descritores apresentaram rápida resposta nos primeiros dias após a infecção das plantas, sendo mais expressivo na cv. resistente BRS Antares. Os descritores prolina livre e catalase podem ser utilizados como ferramentas auxiliares na identificação de cultivares resistentes à ramulose nos programas de melhoramento da cultura do algodão.

Five biochemical descriptors were assessed in cotton plants infected with the ramulosis-causing fungus in order to detect differences associated with the infection. Seeds from four cotton cultivars with different levels of resistance were sown in plastic containers in greenhouse conditions. At 20 days after emergence, plants were inoculated with a suspension at 1 x 10(6) conidia/mL of Colletotrichum gossypii var. cephalosporioides. Leaves were collected at 3, 15 and 30 days after inoculation and free proline, catalase, peroxidase, soluble carbohydrates and total proteins were determined. Proline, peroxidase and catalase levels discriminated the reaction of infected plants. These descriptors changed soon after infection and the change was more evident in the resistant BRS Antares variety. Free proline and catalase descriptors can be used in the identification of ramulosis-resistant cultivars in cotton breeding programs.