| Summary: | Olive leaf spot (OLS) caused by <i>Fusicladium</i><i>oleagineum</i> is mainly controlled using copper fungicides. However, the replacement of copper-based products with eco-friendly alternatives is a priority. The use of plant resistance-inducers (PRIs) or biological control agents (BCAs) could contribute in this direction. In this study we investigated the potential use of three PRIs (laminarin, acibenzolar-S-methyl, harpin) and a BCA (<i>Bacillus amyloliquefaciens</i> FZB24) for the management of OLS. The tested products provided control efficacy higher than 68%. In most cases, dual applications provided higher (<i>p</i> < 0.05) control efficacies compared to that achieved by single applications. The highest control efficacy of 100% was achieved by laminarin. Expression analysis of the selected genes by RT-qPCR revealed different kinetics of induction. In laminarin-treated plants, for most of the tested genes a higher induction rate (<i>p</i> < 0.05) was observed at 3 days post application. <i>Pal, Lox, Cuao</i> and <i>Mpol</i> were the genes with the higher inductions in laminarin-treated and artificially inoculated plants. The results of this study are expected to contribute towards a better understanding of PRIs in olive culture and the optimization of OLS control, while they provide evidence for potential contributions in the reduction of copper accumulation in the environment.
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