Antifungal Effects of Plant Extracts on Seed-borne Fungi of Wheat Seed Regarding Seed Germination, Seedling Health and Vigour Index

Abstract

Ten plant extracts obtained from the rhizomes of Zingiber officinale, bulbs of Allium sativum and Allium cepa, leaves of Adhatoda vasica [Justicia adhatoda], Lawsonia alba [L. inermis], Azadirachta indica and Achyranthes aspera, stems of Cuscuta reflexa, roots of Vinca rosea [Catharanthus roseus], and seeds of Nigella sativa were tested for their efficacy in vitro against seedborne fungi of wheat. All the plant extracts significantly reduced the incidence of seedborne fungi, increased seed germination, number of healthy seedlings and vigour index. The alcoholic extracts of neem and garlic completely controlled the intensity of Bipolaris sorokiniana [Cochliobolus sativus], Fusarium sp., Aspergillus sp., Penicillium sp. and Rhizopus sp. after the treatment on wheat seeds. Next to garlic and neem, V. rosea extract showed good inhibition against B. sorokiniana (1.40%) followed by the bulb extract of A. cepa (1.53%) and leaf extract of A. aspera (1.53%). The water extracts of the test plants also showed good antifungal effects against seedborne fungi of wheat. Seeds treated with the A. indica extract gave 99.33% seed germination, which is 16.86% higher over the untreated control. The highest vigour index was recorded after the application with alcoholic and water extracts of rhizome of ginger, bulb of garlic and leaf of neem on seeds of wheat while the lowest was in untreated control. The highest (86.95%) and the lowest (13.05%) healthy and infected seedlings were recorded when the seeds were treated with neem extract. Next to neem extract, garlic extract treated wheat seeds gave 84.70% healthy seedlings and 15.13% infected seedlings, respectively.