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Antifungal activity of Datura stramonium, Calotropis gigantea and Azadirachta indica against Fusarium mangiferae and floral malformation in mango

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Abstract

Floral malformation caused by Fusarium mangiferae is a serious threat to mango cultivation in various countries. Different long-term measures suggested to control it were found to be unsuccessful. Present studies clearly showed strong antifungal activity of a concoction brewed from Datura stramonium, Calotropis gigantea, Azadirachta indica (neem) and cow manure (T1) followed by methanol-water (70/30 v/v) extracts of Datura stramonium, Calotropis gigantea and Azadirachta indica (T2) against Fusarium mangiferae. Optimal control of floral malformation was found in trees sprayed with T1 followed by T2 at bud break stage and again at fruit set stage when compared with the control. All the malformed buds or panicles completely dried two days after foliar spray with T1 or T2. In the trees treated with T1 at fruit set stage, flower abscission was observed from the fourth day after spraying and all flowers dropped by the ninth day without requiring any manual de-blossoming, whereas in the control, the malformed panicles remained green and competed with the growing fruits for plant nutrients. In vitro culture of fresh malformed tissues in MS media along with T1 or T2 showed no growth of any fungus in the media. However, in vitro culture of the completely dry malformed tissues in MS media after foliar treatment with T1 or T2 revealed growth of F. mangiferae on the twenty fifth day indicating that the concoction-brewed compost (T1) or methanol-water (70/30 v/v) extracts (T2) could not completely eliminate the pathogen but helped in controlling malformation by suppressing the activity of F. mangiferae. Mango trees sprayed with T1 and T2 revealed significant differences in percent fruit set and retention when compared with the control. This could be due to observed higher levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, copper, zinc, iron and manganese in T1, followed by T2 when compared with T3 (control). Among the different fruit quality parameters analysed, the total flavonoids were found to be significantly higher in T1 and T2 when compared with T3. The study proved that the concoction-brewed compost (T1) is effective, inexpensive, easy to prepare and constitutes a sustainable and eco-friendly approach to control floral malformation in mango when it is sprayed at bud break stage and again at fruit set stage. In this present study, exogenous treatment of emerging buds with (Tc) further proved that with increase in the number of malformed panicles/tree the number of buds developing into healthy panicles/tree decrease.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Fruits and Horticultural Technology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110 012, India

    K. Usha & A. Nagaraja

  2. NRL, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110 012, India

    B. Singh & P. Praseetha

  3. Division of Post Harvest Technology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110 012, India

    N. Deepa

  4. Division of Plant Pathology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110 012, India

    D. K. Agarwal & R. Agarwal

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  1. K. Usha
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  2. B. Singh
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Usha, K., Singh, B., Praseetha, P. et al. Antifungal activity of Datura stramonium, Calotropis gigantea and Azadirachta indica against Fusarium mangiferae and floral malformation in mango. Eur J Plant Pathol 124, 637–657 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10658-009-9450-2

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