Research Article 
Activity of Some Essential Oils against Pathogenic Seed Borne Fungi on Legumes
Enzo Marinelli, Laura Orzali, Elvira Lotti and Luca Riccioni
Asian Journal of Plant Pathology, 2012, 6(3), 66-74.
Abstract
Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree), Thymus vulgaris (thyme), Laurel nobilis (laurel), Mentha x piperita (peppermint), Origanum vulgare (oregano), Syzygium aromaticum (clove) and Rosmarinus officianalis (rosemary) essential oils were tested for their antifungal activity to investigate the possibility of their use for legumes seed treatment. The ability of the seven oils to inhibit mycelial growth was studied by in-vitro assay on agar medium containing different concentrations of the essential oils. Six seed-borne pathogen fungi of large interest Peyronellaea pinodella, Peyronellaea pinodes, Diaporthe phaseolorum var. caulivora, Phomopsis longicolla, Ascochyta lentis and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides were transferred on the modified medium in order to test the oils antifungal activity, by calculating the percentage of Mycelial Growth Inhibition (MGI) and the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC). Results showed a clear reducing effect of the oils on fungal growth, that was dose-dependent and it differed depending on the fungal species. The most effective were thyme, clove, peppermint and oregano oils. Therefore, the essential oils tested can be considered very interesting for developing alternative natural fungicides to the synthetic chemicals and can be potentially used in organic agriculture to prevent and control seed-borne diseases for safe and low environmental impact seed treatments.
ASCI-ID: 26-67
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