Abstract:To ascertain the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolism in induction of melon resistance to Sphaerotheca fuliginea after benzothiadiazole (BTH) spraying, seedlings of two melon cultivars, Tam Dew (resistant) and Kalakesai (susceptible) were sprayed with 50 mg/L BTH at five leaf stage, and then inoculated with S.fuliginea seven days later. The production rate of O2.-, H2O2 content and activities of superoxiede dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), phenylalanine amonnialyase (PAL) in leaves were determined. The results showed that the production rate of O2.- and H2O2 content increased significantly in leaves treated with BTH or S.fuliginea, the activities of SOD and PAL increased while CAT activities decreased after BTH spraying, and better effects were obtained when inoculated with S.fuliginea after BTH spraying than those with BTH or S.fuliginea singly. The increases of O2.- production and H2O2 accumulation are important mechanisms in resistance increasing of melon to powdery mildew under BTH induction, and H2O2 accumulation was due to ROS metabolic enzyme regulation. Melon re- sistance induction is also related to the basic resistance of the cultivars.