POTENTIAL OF PLANT EXTRACTS AND FUNGICIDES FOR MANAGING FUSARIUM OXYSPORUM F. SPLYCOPERSICI

Abstract

Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici (FOL) is a highly destructive fungal pathogen of tomato crop causing wilt disease which may reduce 10 to 90% yield. In Pakistan, tomato is widely grown in Sindh province, major territories are district Hyderabad, Tando Allahyar and Mirpurkhas. Thus, surveys of these territories were conducted to record intensity of the disease and confirm etiology. Furthermore, potential of different botanical pesticides and commercially available fungicides were tested to inhibit mycelial growth of the causal fungus. The experiment was laid down with complete randomized block design with three replications. The results showed that the disease was occurring in all locations with the range of 8-47 % incidence. F. oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici was predominantly isolated from the collected disease sample during survey and pathogenic nature of the fungus was tested on the tomato Golo variety through soil drenching method. The disease incidence of 30 and 42 % (72 % as total) was recorded in inoculated tomato plants at 20 and 40 DAI, respectively. Maximum (67 %) inhibition of the fungal growth was found by neem seed extracts at higher dose of 8 % concentration followed by 63 % with neem seeds and Eucalyptus at 6 and 8 %, respectively. Alternatively, the Nativo 75 WG fungicide was found most effective in reducing the redial mycelial growth of target fungus followed by Topsin-M at 1000 ppm where as Aliette and Melodedue fungicides were found least effective under in-vitro conditions.