Efficiency of bio-evaporation of Arugula leaves to control root rot disease on cucumber caused by Pythium intermedium in Greenhouse

Abstract

The efficiency of the Arugula (Eruca vesicaria) leaves extracts against the fungus Pythium intermedium, the root rot disease agent, was evaluated with three concentrations of 2.5, 5, 10 g / kg soil as biofumigation. The fungi around infected root of cucumber plants were isolated and diagnosed from different locations in Baghdad such as Rashidiya, Madaen, Yousifiya and Mahmudiya. The extract of arugula plants significantly reduced the incidence and severity of root rot disease on cucumber plant after 45 days of cultivation compared with control. The highest reduction in incidence and severity of the disease was about 4% and 5% respectively with arugula extract 10 g / kg soil. The study was the first record to evaluate the incidence of P. intermedium on root of cucumber plants in Iraq. Further, all concentrations of arugula extract showed increase on the growth parameters compared with control. In arugula extract 10 g/kg soil the growth parameter such as plant length, leaf length, leaf width, wet weight and dry weight were 35 cm, 5.5 cm, 6 cm, 4 g and 0.28 g respectively. Furthermore, Significant differences in the value of the biological index of arugula plant extract treatments ranging from 2627 to 3433 compared to the treatment of P. intermedium, which was about 1910, while did not differ significantly from the treatment of control with a vital index of 3830.