Inhibitory Effect of Plant Extracts on Conidial Germination of the Phytopathogenic Fungus Fusarium oxysporum

Domenico Rongai, Filomena Milano, Elisabetta Sciò

Consiglio per la Ricerca e la Sperimentazione in Agricoltura, Centro di Ricerca per la Patologia Vegetale, Roma, Italy.
Sapienza University, Roma, Italy.

DOI: 10.4236/ajps.2012.312207                

Abstract

In an attempt to reduce the use of synthetic fungicides, extensive investigations into the possible exploitation of plant compounds as natural commercial products were performed. The present paper describes the antifungal activity of botanic extracts on the development of Fusarium oxysporum, f.s.p. lycopersici. The tests in vitro were carried out in a multi-well plate assay. The tested plants were classified based on the optical density reached by germinating conidia 24, 48 and 72 hours after inoculation. Among 500 plant species tested, about 84% did not exert significant inhibition, 7.6% showed low inhibition, 5.2% had an intermediate level of antifungal activity, and only 3% inhibited fungal germination completely. These findings suggest that some botanic extracts tested possess antifungal activities against Fusarium oxysporum and could be used as potential antifungal agents for the control of fungal plant diseases.

Keywords

Fusarium; Plant Extract; Antifungal Activity; Natural Fungicide

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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