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<OL> <LI> Identify new natural compounds effective as antifungal or antimycotoxigenic agents for control of phytopathogenic diseases of apple. <LI> Determine an effective method for delivery of newly discovered natural compounds, leading to a target-specific strategy for an easy, safe and economic approach to pathogen control.
Approach: 1) Use S. cerevisiae to screen antimicrobial natural compounds using deletion mutants. 2) Develop additional bioassay systems to identify effective natural compounds using microorganisms other than the model S. cerevisiae system 3) Test effectiveness of natural compounds for growth inhibition using fungal pathogens (e.g. Phytophthora, Venturia etc.). 4) Assess effectiveness of combining natural compounds and known fungicides Enhance activity of natural compounds in host plants by treatment with menadione sodium bisulfite (MSB) or benzothiadiazole 5) Identify new inducers of plant defense and stimulators of plant secondary metabolism.