Use of Plant Volatile for Plant Pathogens and Pests Management

Abstract

Antifungal activity of tomato leaf volatiles (TLV) against three types of plant pathogens of Botryotinia fuckeliana, Glomerella cingulata, and Fusarium oxysporum was investigated. Growths of B. fuckeliana and G. cingulata were completely inhibited by 700 and 1,000 μL of TLV extract, respectively. These suggest that TLV are proven to be efficacious as a biological control agent and that there is the defense response against plant pathogens in tomato plant. In another study, repellent and insecticidal effects of eight (peppermint, cherry sage, dokudami, sweet pepper, eucalyptus, lavender, chives, and tansy) and seven (rosemary, spearmint, eucalyptus, chives, sage, tansy, and sweet pepper) extracts were against Myzus persicae and Pieris rapae crucivora Boisduval, respectively, in laboratory and field conditions. In the laboratory, sweet pepper and tansy extracts proved to be a potent insecticide against M. persicae. In the field test, dokudami extract was a highly effective repellent against M. persicae. These findings suggest that dokudami extract can be used to control wingless green peach aphids in the field. Moreover, neem cake showed a strong repellent effect against green peach aphid. Among the seven plants, the tested herbs, rosemary and spearmint volatile extracts have a notable feeding repellent effect against P. rapae larvae.