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Screening antifungal properties of essential oils against taro leaf blight disease

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Abstract

Recent advances in the exploration of botanicals for their antimicrobial and micro-static activities have caught special attention, particularly in response to the overwhelming apprehension of consumers toward the safety of edible products. However, scientists are paying more interest in using biopesticides and phytochemicals that constitute environmentally favorable, non-toxic, long-lasting, and affordable substitutes for preventing many hazardous plant pathogens. This research aimed to investigate the antifungal properties of sage and tea tree essential oils against taro leaf blight disease-causing significant yield losses. The essential oils of sage and tea tree were obtained by microwave-assisted hydro-distillation, and their chemical components were analyzed using FTIR spectroscopy. The main components of the oil were Thujone and Terpinen-4-ol, in sage and tea tree, respectively. The disease-causal pathogen isolated from symptomatic taro leaves was identified as Phytophthora colocasiae and used as a test fungus. The antifungal properties of both essential oils were evaluated against mycelium, sporangium, zoospores, leaf necrosis, and corm lesions. Repeated experiments showed that the minimum concentrations for obtaining 100% inhibition of mycelium, zoospore germination, sporangia formation, and leaf necrosis were estimated at 2.5 and 5.0 mg/mL for sage and tea tree oils, respectively. The outcomes of this study provide an allusion to the prevention and curation of Taro leaf blight diseases effectively, economically, and environmentally by using phytochemicals and plant essential oil derivatives.

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Acknowledgements

The research is funded by the national modern agricultural industry technology team’s Sichuan oil rape innovation team (SCCXTD-2021-03).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, 621000, Sichuan, China

    Hong Zhang, Muhammad Talib Kalhoro, Dabin Huo, Yahya Faqir, Farhan Nabi, Fukai Wang, Zhixian Gao & Tianhong Chen

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  1. Hong Zhang
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  2. Muhammad Talib Kalhoro
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Zhang, H., Kalhoro, M.T., Huo, D. et al. Screening antifungal properties of essential oils against taro leaf blight disease. J Plant Dis Prot 130, 599–608 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41348-023-00706-y

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