EVALUATION OF SELECTED PLANT EXTRACTS UNDER In-vitro CONDITIONS ON CAUSAL AGENT OF PANAMA DISEASE IN BANANA
Résumé
Banana production globally faces a critical challenge with Fusarium wilt, a devastating disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc), commonly known as Panama disease. This soil-borne fungal pathogen represents a significant threat to banana cultivation, with the potential to persist in soil for several years and cause extensive crop damage. Traditional chemical control methods have proven less effective and environmentally harmful, causing a necessity for an innovative and sustainable approach to disease management. Considering this, a study investigated the potential of plant extracts as an eco-friendly alternative for controlling Panama disease in banana plants. The research was conducted at the Laboratory of the University of Colombo Institute for Agro-technology and Rural Sciences, Hambantota, Sri Lanka under a Completely Randomized Design. The causal organism was isolated from Panama disease infected plant root and cultured in PDA media and treatments were applied in two successive experiments. The first experiment included five treatments including three plant extracts: Mikania micrantha, Datura metal, and Senna alata with a commercial fungicide ‘Captan’ and an untreated control to compare their antifungal properties. The second experiment focused on determining the optimal concentration of D. metal extract, ranging from 25% to 100% with an untreated control and each contained three replicates. Data collection included measuring fungal colony diameter and visual observations of growth inhibition over seven days. Results indicated that D. metal extract showed exceptional potential than other tested botanicals in inhibiting F. oxysporum growth next to the commercial fungicide. The study revealed a concentration-dependent inhibition mechanism, where higher extract concentrations consistently suppressed fungal proliferation. At 100% concentration, D. metal extract exhibited performance comparable to the commercial fungicide, effectively managing fungal colony expansion. Hence, after future field evaluations, D. metal can be suggested as a promising, environmentally friendly alternative for managing Panama disease.