Abstract
Background: Gramineae damping-off disease is a growing problem worldwide, which affects a large range of seedlings in nurseries, glasshouses, gardens, crops, forests and untimely generates a heavy economic impact on the agriculture and related sectors. Objectives: The present study was conducted to evaluate the preventive potential of carvacrol on germination of Fusarium oxysporum, Neocosmospora solani, and Microdochium nivale spores as responsible agents for Lolium perenne seeds damping-off disease. Material and methods: Macrodilution method in agar medium, spore germination, spore destruction, and preventive treatment bioassays were used to achieve this goal. Results: The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of carvacrol vs. tested strains existed in the range of 0.25–0.5 mg/mL. Carvacrol used in concentrations ranging from 0.2 to 0.4 mg/mL inhibited the germination of all fungal spores in a dose-dependent manner. Carvacrol showed a very strong sporicidal effect against all studied fungal strains, and this effect was well confirmed by microscopic observations. The percentage of growth inhibition was found to be strictly correlated to carvacrol dose up vs. all strains. Carvacrol increased the emergence of L. perenne seeds when compared to both uninfested and infested seeds. Conclusion: Based on the results obtained, carvacrol fulfills the requirement for being a natural alternative agent to fight Gramineae seedlings’ damping-off caused by fungal species without adverse effects on the plants.
Highlights
Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.Seeds damping-off disease is a disease complex that affects a wide range of seedlings in nurseries, glasshouses, gardens, crops, and forests, and can kill both germinating and young seedlings [1]
The antifungal activity results obtained showed that all fungal species were very sensitive to carvacrol since the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of carvacrol vs. F. oxysporum was 0.25 mg/mL
Regarding growth inhibition percentage (GI%) of radial mycelium, the results obtained seem to show that the percentage of growth inhibition was linearly correlated to carvacrol dose up, which reached 100% at 0.5 mg/mL
Summary
Seeds damping-off disease is a disease complex that affects a wide range of seedlings in nurseries, glasshouses, gardens, crops, and forests, and can kill both germinating and young seedlings [1]. This disease is generally controlled by treating seeds with fungicides and pesticides, which have harmful effects on the environment and human health when used excessively [2]. In this sense, numerous studies have explored the potential use of natural substances for the control of soil-borne plant pathogens [4,5,6]. Material and methods: Macrodilution method in agar medium, spore germination, spore destruction, and preventive treatment bioassays were used to achieve this goal
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