In vitro Evaluation of Some Antifungal Plant Extracts Against Stemphylium vesicarium, Inciting Leaf Blight of Onion

Aqueous extracts of 12 botanicals/plant species were evaluated in vitro (@10, 15, 20%) against Stemphylium vesicarium, inciting leaf blight of onion (Allium cepa L.). All the botanicals tested were found fungitoxic and significantly inhibited mycelial growth of S. vesicarium over untreated control. However, percentage inhibition of the test pathogen was increased with increase in concentration of the botanicals extract. Among the botanicals evaluated, Azadirachta indica (Neem) was found most fungi toxic and recorded significantly highest mean growth inhibition (83.94%) of the test pathogen. The second and third best botanicals in respect of fungitoxicity were Oscimum sanctum (Tulsi) and Bougainveillia spectabilis (Bougainveillia) which recorded next best maximum mean growth inhibition, respectively of 69.04 and 68.16 per cent of the test pathogen. This was followed by the botanicals viz., Lawsonia innermis (66.38%), Ipomea carnea (65.90%), Zingiber officinale (59.18%), Eucalyptus globules (58.58%), Annona squimosa (56.89%), Tagetes erecta (55.18%) and Parthenium hysterophorus (54.96%). Comparatively, Allium sativum (Garlic) was foundleast fungitoxic and recorded minimum meant growth inhibition (27.29%). Thus, those botanicals proved antifungal/fungitoxic and significantly inhibited growth of Stemphylium vesicarium in present study, needs further confirmation of their fungitoxicity potential and then could be exploited under field conditions for eco – friendly and economical management of Stemphylium leaf blight of onion as well as other foliar diseases of the crop plants.