REMEDIATION OF TOMATO (Lycopersicon esculentum) FRUIT ROT CAUSED BY Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici USING VARIOUS PLANT EXTRACTS

The antifungal activity of five plant extracts viz., Allium sativum, Zingiber officinale, Allium cepa, Mentha spicata and Curcuma longa were evaluated against the tomato phytopathogenic fungi, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. Lycopersici by Poison Food Technique. Results showed that all the aqueous plant extracts tested in vitro were found significantly effective in reducing the percentage mycelial growth of F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici over untreated control. However plant extract(@ 10,20,30,40 and 50%) of A. sativum recorded lowest mean colony diameter of 38.96 mm and highest mean mycelial growth inhibition (39.12%) followed by Z. officinale and A. cepa which recorded mean mycelial growth of 40.80mm and 44.46mm and mean mycelial growth inhibition of 37.70% and 31.38% respectively. C. longa was lowest inhibitory (20.52%) against F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici out of all the test plants.