| Summary: | Postharvest diseases of potato lead to significant food and economic losses worldwide. The exogenous application of eco-friendly methods plays an important role in the control of postharvest decay. In this work the effects of endophytic bacteria <i>B. subtilis</i> (10-4, 26D) were studied in the context of two application parameters: concentration, with a range between 10<sup>3</sup>−10<sup>8</sup> CFU/mL tested, and synergistic effects of the signal molecule salicylic acid (SA) (0.05 mM) on potato tubers’ resistance to <i>Phytophthora infestans</i> and <i>Fusarium oxysporum</i> during storage. The experiments were carried out on hydroponically grown potato (<i>Solanum tuberosum</i> L.) mini-tubers. This study demonstrates the suppressive effect of <i>B. subtilis</i> (10-4, 26D) on diseases of potato during storage and reveals that this effect happens in a dose-dependent manner, both individually and in combination with SA. The most effective concentrations of <i>B. subtilis</i> for suppression of both <i>Ph.</i> <i>infestans</i> and <i>F. oxysporum</i> are 10<sup>8</sup> CFU/mL (10-4 and 26D), 10<sup>7</sup> CFU/mL (10-4 + SA) and 10<sup>6</sup> CFU/mL (26D + SA). The ability of <i>B. subtilis</i> (10-4, 26D) to effectively penetrate and colonize the internal tubers’ tissues when applied immediately prior to storage, and the ability of SA to accelerate these processes, have been proven. <i>B. subtilis</i> (10-4, 26D), individually and in compositions with SA, increased ascorbic acid content and decreased pathogen-induced proline accumulation and lipid peroxidation in tubers. This indicates a protective effect conferred to cells against reactive oxygen and an extension of aging processes, manifested by a prolonged shelf life and extended preservation of fresh appearance.
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