Gladiolus grandiflorus L. is highly susceptible to Fusarium and losses caused by this disease varies from 60% to 100%. Injuries caused during harvest, transport and inadequate storage, facilitate infection. The dynamics of wound healing can reduce infection by Fusarium. The objective was to characterize the wound healing in corms of G. grandiflora stored under refrigeration and how it affects the entry and establishment of F. oxysporum f. sp. gladioli infection. Corms were wounded and stored at 12 ± 4°C and relative humidity of 90 ± 5%. Cell damage, fresh weight loss, respiration, phenolic compounds, tissue darkening, suberization, lignification and resistance to infection were evaluated. Wounds on corms caused transepidermal damage with collapse and cell death. Physiological (increased loss of mass and respiration) and biochemical changes (deposition of lignin and suberin, enzymatic activity) occurred in the cells neighboring those death by the injury. The injury caused gradual darkening of the tissue, injured and neighbor. Fusarium oxysporum infection decreased with wound healing. The healing of injured G. grandiflora corms stored at 12ºC occurs from the 3rd day after injury by the accumulation of suberin, lignin, and melanin, inhibiting F. oxysporum f. sp. gladioli infection.
Keywords: Corm storage diseases; Fusarium oxysporum; flowers; ornamental horticulture.