BIOCONTROL ACTIVITY OF AROMATIC AND MEDICINAL PLANTS AGAINST SOIL-BORNE PATHOGENS

Natalija  Atanasova-Pancevska; Dzoko  Kungulovski

doi:10.20903/masa/nmbsci.2023.44.33

BIOCONTROL ACTIVITY OF AROMATIC AND MEDICINAL PLANTS AGAINST SOIL-BORNE PATHOGENS

Authors

Natalija Atanasova-Pancevska Department of Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnology, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, RN Macedonia Author
Dzoko Kungulovski Department of Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnology, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, RN Macedonia Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.20903/masa/nmbsci.2023.44.33

Keywords:

antimicrobial; tincture; 96-well microtiter plates; aromatic plant; soil-borne pathogen

Abstract

Globally, soil-borne phytopathogens can significantly impair horticultural and grain crops, causing substantial losses. Synthetic pesticides remain the primary choice in plant disease management due to their high efficiency and ease of application. However, strict regulations and growing environmental concerns have made the search for sustainable alternatives more urgent than ever. In addition to integrating botanicals into farming practices, incorporating aromatic and medicinal plants into crop systems can be an effective strategy for managing plant diseases by supplying nutrients and modifying soil microbial populations.

However, these techniques are not universally accepted and may negatively impact soil fertility if not carefully controlled. The present study aims to evaluate the biocontrol activity of tinctures prepared from aromatic and medicinal plants native to North Macedonia against certain soil-borne phytopathogens.

The antimicrobial potential of the tinctures was evaluated using the well diffusion method and micro-broth dilution method with 96-well microtiter plates, which allowed for the determination of the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal fungicidal concentration (MFC). The tinctures were subjected to serial dilutions in descending concentrations, starting from 50 % and ending with a concentration of 0.39 %. Fifteen aromatic and medicinal plants and six commonly known phytopathogens were used in this experiment.

Generally, the tinctures were found to be active, with the MIC ranging from 0.39 % to 25 %, and the MFC ranging from 0.78 % to 50 %. However, of all the tested fungi, Fusarium oxysporum FNS-FCC 103 and Aspergillus niger FNS-FCC 33 were the most resistant microorganisms, while Botrytis cinerea FNS-FCC 23 was the most sensitive.

According to the findings of this study, the tested aromatic and medicinal plants exhibited relatively high antimicrobial activity against all the tested phytopathogenic fungi. The study suggests that tinctures from these plants could serve as a potential source of natural antifungal agents. Following this screening experiment, further research should be conducted to explore the antimicrobial activities in more detail.

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