Abstract
Jatropha curcas L., a perennial plant grown in tropics and subtropics is popularly known for its potential as biofuel. The plant is reported to survive under varying environmental conditions having tolerance to stress and an ability to manage pest and diseases. The plant was explored for its endophytic fungi for use in crop protection. Endophytic fungi were isolated from leaf of Jatropha curcas, collected from New Delhi, India. Four isolates were identified as Colletotrichum truncatum, and other isolates were identified as Nigrospora oryzae, Fusarium proliferatum, Guignardia cammillae, Alternaria destruens, and Chaetomium sp. Dual plate culture bioassays and bioactivity assays of solvent extracts of fungal mycelia showed that isolates of Colletotrichum truncatum were effective against plant pathogenic fungi Fusarium oxysporum and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Isolate EF13 had highest activity against S. sclerotiorum. Extracts of active endophytic fungi were prepared and tested against S. sclerotiorum. Ethyl acetate and methanol extract of C. truncatum EF10 showed 71.7% and 70% growth inhibition, respectively. Hexane extracts of C. truncatum isolates EF9, EF10, and EF13 yielded oil and the oil from EF10 was similar to oil of the host plant, i.e., J. curcas.
Highlights
Jatropha curcas L. (Family: Euphorbiaceae), a promising energy crop, is being extensively studied for developing bio-fuel technology as well as for other beneficial use, viz., antimicrobial and pesticidal activity
With the hypothesis that pesticidal property in Jatropha extracts and its seed oil is in part due to the presence of endophytic fungi, the present study was undertaken to assess the antifungal activity of endophytic fungi present in J. curcas against Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, and Fusarium oxysporum phytopathogens
Nine endophytic fungi were isolated from 44 tissue segments of the leaf of J. curcas with isolation frequency of 20.5% and no endophytic fungus appeared out of 16 tissue segments of petiole kept for isolation up to 30 days
Summary
Jatropha curcas L. (Family: Euphorbiaceae), a promising energy crop, is being extensively studied for developing bio-fuel technology as well as for other beneficial use, viz., antimicrobial and pesticidal activity. Several workers reported endophytic fungi from plants and their bio-activity against wide range of pests and pathogens. With the hypothesis that pesticidal property in Jatropha extracts and its seed oil is in part due to the presence of endophytic fungi, the present study was undertaken to assess the antifungal activity of endophytic fungi present in J. curcas against Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, and Fusarium oxysporum phytopathogens. These phytopathogens have a wide host range and cause major losses in important food crops like rice, maize, wheat, and chickpea
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