638 PB 366 EFFECTS OF PHENOLIC METABOLISM ON SUSCEPTIBILITY OF PEACH ROOTSTOCKS TO NEMATODES
Peach rootstocks Rancho Resistant (RR) and GF 677 are resistant and susceptible to nematodes, respectively. One-year-old seedlings of RR, GF677 and their reciprocal grafts were inoculated with 10,000 larvae. Both inoculated and control plants were harvested at intervals for assay. Phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) activity and soluble phenol content were enhanced in both RR and GF677 after inoculation, but RR always had a 2-fold higher peroxidase (PO) activity than GF677. When GF677 was grafted on RR, the resistance of RR was not altered. When RR was grafted onto GF677, the number of galls on the plant were 66% and 77% less than on GF677 2 weeks and 2 months after inoculation, respectively. However, no interaction was found in the reciprocal graft. The results showed that higher soluble phenol content and PAL activity induced by nematode attack were common features of RR and GF677, and a positive relation between PO activity and resistance to nematode existed in the two rootstocks.