Efficacy of Some Medicinal Plant Extracts, Oil and Microbial Antagonists Against Fusarium spp. Affecting Brinjal and Guava Crops

Aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of medicinal plants as well as fungal antagonists against pathogenic fusaria. Pathogenic fusaria viz., Fusarium solani f. sp. melongena and F. oxysporum f. sp. moniliforme causing brinjal and guava wilt are also responsible for significant reduction in yield and quality. Fusarium strains isolated from different sites and identified by Phase Contrast Microscope (PCM) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The oil and extracts of plant were extracted by hydro distillation in Clevenger apparatus and Soxhlet apparatus. Mycelial growth inhibition was determined by food poison method. In vitro efficacy of five medicinal plants viz., Azadirachta indica (oil and leaf extract), Psidium guajava (leaf extract), Eucalyptus camaldulensis (bark extract), Trachyspermum ammi (seed extract) and Ocimum sanctum (leaf extract) and three microbial antagonists viz., Trichoderma harzianum, T. atroviride and T. longibrachiatum were tested using 4, 8 and 12 μL against both the test fungi on 3rd, 5th and 7th day of inoculation. Among all the medicinal plants, O. sanctum (leaf extract), T. ammi (seed extract) and A. indica (leaf extract) showed 100% inhibition of mycelial growth of F. solani and F. moniliforme at 12 μL concentration on 7th day followed by A. indica (oil), P. guajava and E. camaldulensis. Among different bioagents, T. longibrachiatum against F. solani and F. oxysporum f. sp. moniliforme was found significantly superior to the rest in infecting the growth and showed 100% inhibition at 8 and 12 μL concentrations on 3rd, 5th and 7th day while T. harzianum against both the test fungus was most effective and completely inhibited the mycelial growth at 12 μL concentration on all three days followed by T. atroviride.