| Bacillus subtilis BEB-13bs, a plant growth promoting rhizobacteria, has improved tomato firmness. Since firmer fruits are be expected to be more resistant to spoilage microorganisms and to have a longer shelf-life, root inoculation with this strain could be an alternative to extend tomato shelf-life. Thus, fruit texture-related changes were studied in tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) inoculated with Bacillus subtilis BEB-13bs. Treatments were: 1) non-inoculated control treatment (CTL); 2) PGPR inoculated treatment (BS13). Evaluation was made at different ripening stages. Pericarp firmness and activity of poligalacturonase (PG), the major cell wall polyuronide degrading enzyme in tomato, were measured. The expression pattern of ripening-related... |
