Potentiality of phytoextracts against anthracnose [Colletotrichum Gloeosporioides] of Dragon fruit under in vitro condition

Abstract

The investigation was conducted during October to December 2024-2025 in the Department of Plant Pathology, College of Agriculture, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh, with the objective of assessing the effectiveness of various phytoextracts against Colletotrichum gloeosporioides under in vitro conditions. Dragon fruit (Hylocereus spp.), a member of the Cactaceae family, has recently emerged as a valuable “super fruit” owing to its high nutritional content and notable antioxidant properties. Samples of infected stems and fruits showing typical anthracnose lesions were collected from the farm of the Polytechnic College of Horticulture, Junagadh Agricultural University. The pathogen was isolated through the standard tissue isolation technique and subsequently purified by the hyphal tip method on Potato Dextrose Agar. Based on cultural and morphological attributes, the organism was initially identified as Colletotrichum spp., and its identity as C. gloeosporioides was later confirmed by SLS Research Station Pvt. Ltd., Surat, Gujarat, with the validation supported by the NCBI GenBank accession number PV800860. Various phytoextracts at different concentrations were tested using the poisoned food technique. Nine phytoextracts at 5, 7.5, and 10 percent concentrations were screened in vitro for their suppressive effect on C. gloeosporioides. Among them, Allium cepa bulb extract demonstrated the highest mycelial inhibition (83.19%) at 10%, closely followed by Ocimum sanctum (82.28%), whereas Datura stramonium showed the lowest efficacy (36.70%). These in vitro evaluations of phytoextracts provided essential preliminary information that may guide the development of effective field-based management strategies for anthracnose in dragon fruit cultivation.