Efficacy of plant extracts and fungicides against fungi associated with lemon in storage

A total of six species of fungi were isolated from Citrus lemon. The isolated fungi were Aspergillus niger, Candida krusei, Fusarium sp., Rhizopus stolonifer, Penicillium digitatum and Trichoderma sp. during the period of April 2013 to December 2013. Ethanol leaf extracts of five plants viz. Azadirachta indica L., Citrus limon L., Mangifera indica L., Polyalthia longifolia L. and Tagetes erecta L. were evaluated against the pathogenic fungi at 5, 10 and 20% concentrations. In vitro treatment showed that A. indica completely inhibited growth of the fungi at all the concentrations used. Similarly efficacy of four fungicides namely Bavistin DF, Green gel, Ridomil MZ Gold and Tall 25 EC were evaluated against the isolated fungi at 100 ppm, 200 ppm and 400 ppm concentrations. Tall 25 EC inhibited growth of the test fungi at all the concentrations used.