ASSESSMENT OF ANTIFUNGAL POTENTIALS OF SOME AQUEOUS PLANT EXTRACTS AND FUNGICIDES AGAINST ALTERNARIA ALTERNATA

Abstract

Present study was carried out in Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Punjab University, Lahore during 2010. Efficacy of aqueous leaf extracts of four allelopathic tree species i.e. Azadirachta indica (L.), Datura alba (L), Eucalyptus sp. (L) and Melia azedarach (L)) and different fungicides (halonil, acrobat and mancozeb) were studied against Alternaria alternata (Fr.) causal agent of leaf spot disease by using disc plate method. The fungus was exposed to different concentrations (1, 2, 3 & 4% w/v) of plant extracts and tested fungicides in the followed doses 20, 40 and 60 ppm. The growth of A. alternata was highly inhibited after the use of 4% extracts of A. indica and M. azedarach where respectively an inhibition rate of 29.14 and 29.1% was observed. A. indica extracts which are cheap and environmentally safe, exhibited considerable efficacy in the control of A. alternata may be considered as promising outlet in plant protection against this widespread pathogen.