Abstract: Objective This study aimed to investigate the effects of the new plant immune inducer Zhinengcong （ZNC）on growth promotion and resistance to root rot disease of Lycium barbarum L.， so as to provide a theoretical basis for promotion and application of ZNC in wolfberry cultivation and production.Method Using Lycium barbarum L. cultivars Ningqi 1， Ningqi 5， Ningqi 7， and Qixin 1 as experimental materials， the seed germination rate and root length were measured after treatments of different ZNC concentrations （0， 5， 10， 50， and 100 ng/mL）. Seedlings were irrigated with ZNC of the above-mentioned concentrations， and plant height， leaf area， and chlorophyll content were measured 60 days after treatments. Detached leaves and wounded roots were inoculated with pathogens to observe leaf phenotype and lesion size and to determine the activities of superoxide dismutase （SOD）， phenylalanine ammonia-lyase （PAL）， and polyphenol oxidase （PPO）， so as to evaluate the reduced resistance of ZNC on the susceptible cultivar Ningqi 5.Result For Ningqi 1， Ningqi 5， Ningqi 7， and Qixin 1， their optimal germination was found under ZNC concentrations of 10， 100， 50， and 10 ng/mL， respectively. Root length was significantly promoted at 50 ng/mL ZNC for Ningqi 1， Ningqi 7， and Qixin 1， while 100 ng/mL ZNC showed the best effect for Ningqi 5. Both 50 and 100 ng/mL ZNC significantly increased plant height and leaf area. ZNC of different concentrations markedly promoted chlorophyll accumulation， with significant increases of 114.47%， 99.07%， 151.70%， and 58.67% were found under ZNC of ZNC treatment compared with 0 ng/mL ZNC in the four cultivars， respectively （P<0.05）. Inoculation tests showed that leaves treated with 50 ng/mL ZNC exhibited slower pathogen growth and the smallest lesion diameter （2.58 mm）. Moreover， SOD， PAL， and PPO activities in Ningqi 5 leaves treated with 50 ng/mL ZNC were higher than in the untreated control. SOD and PPO activities peaked at 3 h post-inoculation， reaching 398.35 and 65.00 U/g， respectively， while PAL activity peaked at 12 h post-inoculation， reaching 6.14 U/g.Conclusion ZNC at appropriate concentrations promotes seed germination and seedling growth in Lycium barbarum L.， although the optimal concentration differs across cultivars. Irrigation with 50 ng/mL ZNC effectively enhances the plant’s innate immunity， activates protective enzymes such as SOD， PAL， and PPO， inhibits the growth of root rot pathogens， thereby enhancing disease resistance.