Biological control assay against date palm diseases by using an aqueous extract of Zygophyllum album in the southeast of Algeria

Abstract

The fungicidal activity of an indigenous plant extracts from the southeastern Algeria Zygophyllum album L. was evaluated for its efficiency on date palm phytopathogenic fungi, Alternaria sp., Fusarium sp., Phytophtora sp., Cladosporium sp., Aspergillus niger and Pinicilium sp, the causative agents of date palm diseases. In the aqueous extract, maximum inhibition was observed in Penicillium sp. and recorded 86,25% and 81,20% inhibition at 100% and 50%, respectively, followed by Cladosporium sp.(D1: 69,16%; D2: 65,90%), Phytophthora. (D1: 67, 63%; D2: 65, 03%). On the other hand, the powder of this plant which was mixed with PDA medium inhabited mycelia growth of all the phytopathogenic fungi while Penicillium sp. (71,25%), Alternaria sp. (62,66%) and Phytophthora sp. (55,93%) had the maximum inhibition rates. These effective plant extracts may contribute to development of potentially effective and environmentally safer alternative fungicide to control date palm diseases caused by the se phytopathogenic fungi.