Plant extraction mediated mitigation of chilli fruit rot caused by Colletotrichum spp.

Abstract

Six isolates of Colletotrichum spp. isolated from the fruit rot infected samples collected from various chilli growing areas of Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts. Among the six isolates of Colletotrichum spp. isolate collected from Ambasamudram (ASD) was most virulent. To manage the chilli fruit rot pathogen Colletotrichum sp. (ASD), nine plants extracts viz., Lawsonia inermis, Azadirachta indica, Bougainvillea spectabilis, Withania sominifera, Ocimum tenuiflorum, Aegle marmelos L., Justicia adhatoda, and Calotropis gigantean were tested under in vitro condition through poisioned food technique. Among them ten per cent leaf extracts, of Withania sominifera (10%) highly inhibit the mycelial growth of Colletotrichum SP (ASD) (84.88 per cent) followed by Aegle marmelos L., (85 per cent) and Azadirachta indica (81.10 per cent reduction over control).