ABSTRACT
There have been various recent studies concerning the use of medicinal extracts of medicinal plants for the control of phytopathogens. The present study was therefore aimed to evaluate, in vitro, fungitoxicity of aqueous crude extracts (ACEs) of Achillea millefolium, Artemisia camphorata, Cymbopogon citratus and Rosmarinus officinalis against Cladosporium fulvum, and the protective effect of these extracts in tomato plants under greenhouse conditions. To evaluate antifungical activity, ACEs were incorporated to PDA (potato-dextrose-agar), with observation of inhibition of mycelial growth, sporulation and spores germination. The plant protection was verified by preventive spraying 72 hours before inoculation of ACEs, in 10% and 20% concentration, in the first pair of leaves. The severity was evaluated 20 days after inoculation, which occurred in both the first and second pair of leaves. Theactivity of the plant-defense enzyme peroxidase was evaluated spectrophotometrically in leaves 72 hours after treatments. It was verified that ACEs inhibit the mycelial growth and had significant reduction in sporulation and spore germination, mainly by ACEs of A. camphorata and R. officinalis, in concentration of 20% and 40%, which reduced the sporulation 85.72% and 93.49%, respectively. In relation to the in-vivo treatments there was observed a reduction in the number of lesions along with a possible resistance induction, mainly to A. camphorata and R. officinalis extracts. The peroxidase activity had no significant increment in relation to the control treatment.
KEY WORDS
Resistance induction; peroxidase; alternative control
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