Abstract:Acibenzolar-S-methyl (ASM) is an important inducer of genes related to disease resistance in plant. ‘Yali’pear fruit were wounded and inoculated with Alternaria alternata after vacuum infiltration of ASM. Results showed that 0.5 mmol·L - 1 ASM treatment effectively inhibited the development of black mould disease in inoculated fruit or in intact fruit, enhanced activities of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase ( PAL) and chitinase (CHT) , and led to accumulation of H2O2 and total phenolic compounds. In vitro experiments indicated thatASM did not inhibit the growth of the fungus, imp licated that the alleviation of fruit disease by ASM treatment is attributed to its ability to enhance defense system in fruit rather than its direct inhibitory effect on the fungus.