Special Issue-2015 CLSR-2015 Abstracts 4 (original) (raw)

Chili anthracnose damages chili fruits extensively at pre-and postharvest stages causing anthracnose lesions. Even very small lesion of anthracnose on fruits of chili reduces the market value of chili crop. Fungitoxic effects of methanolic plant extracts were tested in vitrothrough poisoned food technique. There was a significant decrease in mycellial growth of the fungus with an increase in methanolic plant extracts concentration in all the tested methanolic plant extracts over the control. The fungitoxicity of methanolic plant extracts varied greatly among each other and their concentrations. In general, there was a decrease in mycelial growth Colletotrichum capsici with an increase in concentration of methanolic plant extracts. However, when growth of the fungus in response to various methanolic plant extract concentrations after an incubation period of nine days at 28 ± 2°C was compared, neem leaf extract proved to be the best as it had given the maximum control (64 percent) followed by datura leaf extract (63 percent) on 1000 µg/ml concentration. While eucalyptus leaf extract was proved to be the least effective (45 percent) at highest concentration (1000 µg/ml). None of the tested methanolic plant extracts has completely checked the mycelial growth of Colletotrichum capsici at any of their concentrations. Although there was an overall trend of reduction in mycelial growth of Colletotrichum capsiciwith increase in the concentration of methanollic plant extracts.These plant extracts can be used to controlanthracnose of chilies to reduce the use of fungicides, as plant extracts are safer than synthetic fungicides.