Induction of Resistance in Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) Using Edible Mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) Extract and Biosynthesized Nano-Magnesium against White Mold Caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

• Fatima Mawlood Dera'a¹*, Miqdad Salih Jasim

  Author

This study evaluated the efficacy of alcoholic and aqueous extracts of the edible mushroom Agaricus bisporus, biosynthesized nano-magnesium, and their combinations in inducing resistance in two eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) cultivars, Jawhara and Barcelona, under infection with Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. A factorial experiment (two cultivars × eight treatments) was arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Relative polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity, plant dry weight, leaf area, and fruit firmness were measured. Significant effects of treatments, cultivars, and their interaction were detected for all traits. The alcoholic extract + biosynthesized nano-magnesium treatment produced the highest mean relative PPO activity (3.117 AU at 420 nm) and did not differ significantly from the alcoholic extract alone (3.102 AU at 420 nm), whereas the healthy control recorded the lowest value (0.340 AU at 420 nm). Among infected plants, biosynthesized nano-magnesium and alcoholic extract + biosynthesized nano-magnesium produced high dry weights (20.97 and 20.58 g, respectively), comparable with the healthy control (21.25 g). The alcoholic extract + aqueous extract treatment produced a leaf area of 182.4 cm², comparable with the healthy control (184.8 cm²). The aqueous extract + biosynthesized nano-magnesium treatment produced the highest fruit-firmness mean among infected plants (10.58 kgf cm⁻²), which was comparable with the healthy control (11.17 kgf cm⁻²). Barcelona had higher means for relative PPO activity, leaf area, and fruit firmness, whereas Jawhara had a higher dry-weight mean. These findings indicate that A. bisporus extracts and biosynthesized nano-magnesium can enhance selected biochemical and growth-related responses of infected eggplant plants; however, direct disease-incidence and disease-severity measurements are needed to confirm disease-suppression efficacy.

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