Neem (Azadirachta indica) in the management of Macrophomina phaseolina, the causal pathogen of charcoal rot
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Abstract
(Abstract selected from presentation in National Conference on Biodiversity of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: Collection, Characterization and Utilization, held at Anand, India during November 24-25, 2010)
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Neem has been hailed as the kalpataru of modern times and a tree for solving global problems. Ten neem products comprising of hexane-extracted neem seed kernel oil (HENSK), cold-pressed neem oil, dewaxed oil, odour-free oil, neem fat, unsaturated fraction of the oil, steam volatile fraction (NIM-76), bitter fraction, neem isoprenoids containing 10% azadirachtins and a novel neem bitter formulation at 1 per cent concentration were screened in vitro for their antifungal activity against Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid. (Holliday and Punithalingam, 1970), the pycnidia stage of Rhizoctonia bataticola (Taub.) Butl. the causal agent of charcoal rot/stem blight, seed rot, pre and post-emergence damping off. M. phaseolina is responsible for causing extensive global losses to various crops. The pathogen is both seed- and soil-borne. Among the enriched fractions, both NIM-76 and neem bitter fraction had shown higher efficacy over the parent coldpressed neem oil. The highest percent of inhibition was observed in case of the formulation NEEM 5 EC (91.87%) followed by azadirachtin (81.25%), neem bitters (75.0), NIM-76 (61.25), HENSK (43.12), odourfree neem oil (56.25%), cold pressed unsaturated oil (50%), saturated fat (25%), lipid associates (56.25%). Thus the formulation NEEM 5 EC, azadirachtin and the odour-free neem bitter could find application in seed treatment to control a very common pathogen in tropics.
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