Inhibitory effect of Lycium europaeum extracts on phytopathogenic soil-borne fungi and the reduction of late wilt in maize

Abstract

The ability to control soil-borne pathogens is mainly conditioned by the restrictions to the use of synthetic pesticides, and genetic resistance is hindered by new pathogen races or by only a partial expression of the resistance. Allelopathy, the antimicrobial activity of plant extracts, is a promising option against crop pathogens. Extracts from some Lycium spp. possess biological and therapeutic properties. Individual methanolic extracts from L. europaeum were each evaluated in vitro against Verticillium dahliae (Vd), Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Ss) and Harpophora maydis (Hm). The mycelial growth of the three fungi was significantly reduced by all the extracts at doses of 10 and 30 µl mL-1. The sporulation of Hm was almost completely inhibited but that of Vd was stimulated by some of the extracts. Sclerotia of Ss were formed in a smaller number, their total weight increasing at high extract doses. In greenhouse, and as early as 6 weeks after inoculation, Hm caused significant decreases of weights in both roots and aboveground parts of maize. Decreased weights were also associated with the methanol aqueous solution control treatment. The detrimental effect of Hm on root weights was counteracted by one of the leaf extracts. Eleven phenolic compounds were separated in the extracts. The hydroxycinnamic acid family, including chlorogenic acid as a major compound, represented more than 50 % of the total content in all the samples. Rutin was the most abundant flavonoid. Bioactive L. europaeum extracts, after development into final products and combined with other tools, have the potential to protect crops in the field.

Phytochemical profile of methanolic extracts from Chilca (Baccharis glutinosa) roots and its activity against Aspergillus ochraceus and Fusarium moniliforme

“…effect on organisms at different levels. The effect of these extracts depends on fungal species (Tej et al, 2018). In the case of fungi, the effect may be inhibition of mycelial growth or spore germination (Juvaddi et al, 2015).…”

Recent advances on the characterization and control of sunflower soilborne pathogens under climate change conditions

“…Evidence for the antimicrobial activity of plant extracts and plant-derived compounds has accumulated over the last decade. In vitro experiments by our research group have shown the antifungal activity of Lycium europaeum extracts on the sunflower pathogens V. dahliae and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, and even their effect against in reducing late wilt of maize was observed (Tej et al, 2018). Extracts of L. europaeum reduced the mycelial growth of both fungi and smaller numbers of sclerotia of S. sclerotiorum were formed.…”

Environmental and irrigation conditions can mask the effect of Magnaporthiopsis maydis on growth and productivity of maize

“…The consistency of biological control on a field scale has not been demonstrated (El-Mehalawy et al, 2004;Bergstrom et al, 2008). Similarly, the bioactivity of Lycium europaeum extracts through direct inhibition of both growth and sporulation of the pathogen, as well as by a reduction in disease development, has recently been reported, but under greenhouse conditions (Tej et al, 2018).…”