Antifungal efficacy of some ethyl acetate extract fractions of Cyperus rotundus rhizomes against spore germination of some fungi

Plant products play an important role as safe and ecofriendly method in controlling various plant diseases. Ethyl acetate fractions of Cyperus rotundus rhizomes have been found highly effective against some species of Alternaria (A. alternata, A. brassicola, A. solani, Alternaria chearanthi), Colletotrichum (C. musae, Colletotrichum sp.), Curvularia (C. lunata, C. maculans, C. pallescens, C. pennisetti), Helminthosporium (H. pennissetti, H. spiciferum, H. echinoclova and Heterosporium colocasiae) in vitro. A. brassisicola was highly sensitive to all the fractions at all the concentrations. Fractions 4–7 inhibited complete spore germination at 2000 and 3000 μg/ml as compared to control. However, 100% spore germination inhibition was found in Colletotrichum species in all the fractions at 2000 and 3000 μg/ml but at lower concentrations 50–60% spore germination and 90% reduction of germ tube elongation were observed. Curvularia species was highly sensitive to all concentrations of all the fractions as 50–100% spore germination inhibition was recorded at 500 μg/ml dose. Some species of Helminthosporium were sensitive at 3000 μg/ml in some fractions but other test fractions showed least efficacy. Fractions 4–7 were 100% inhibitory for H. colocasiae. Germ tube elongation was also affected by 60–90%. The germ tube branching and their elongation were affected in almost all species at 30 to 95%. The high efficacy of ethyl acetate fractions of rhizomes of C. rotundus against some fungi indicates that they can be very well tried under field conditions against some important plant diseases as an ecofriendly method of plant disease control.