Abstract
During the screening of leaf extracts of 23 angiospermic species for their fungitoxicity against Pythium aphanidermatum and P. debaryanum, Chenopodium ambrosioides (Chenopodiaceae) and Lippia alba (Verbenaceae) showed strong fungitoxicity. The active fungitoxic products of these plants were isolated and standardised in the form of essential oils. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of both the oils was 1000 µg/ml and they showed broad range of fungitoxicity and were not phytotoxic. The oils were found to be more efficacious than the synthetic fungicides, viz., Agrosan G.N., Captan and Ceresan. The Chenopodium oil when used in seed soaking reduced damping-off disease of tomato in soil infested with either P. aphanidermatum or P. debaryanum up to 66.7% and 100% respectively. Seeds soaked in Lippia oil exhibited 88.9% and 71.3% reduction of damping-off disease of tomato when sown in soil infested with P. aphanidermatum and P. debaryanum respectively.
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