Vitro and In-Vivo Testing of Early Blight of Tomato (Alternaria solani)

Abstract

Alternaria solani has been identified as one of the most devastating pathogenic fungal agents that causes Early blight of tomato in Pakistan. In order to control early blight different management strategies i.e. chemical control, biological control agents and plant extracts have been used. The study was planned to check the efficacy of five different plant extracts; Citrullus colocynthis, Azadirachta indica, Moringa oleifera, Calotropis procera and Prosopis cineraria in managing early blight of tomato and to evaluate the host status of tomato germplasm against A. solani. Aqueous plant extracts were prepared in concentrations of 2.5%, 5% and 7.5% to mitigate A. solani. In-Vivo experiment was conducted in the research area of the Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur by following CRD design. Results prove that foliar application of Citrullus colocynthis produced a significant effect against disease formation as well as recorded the least disease incidence (11.573%). Based on this study, it is concluded that Citrullus colocynthis extract shows promising potential for managing early blight of tomato caused by Alternaria solani, while also stimulating plant growth. This dual functionality positions it as a viable bio-alternative to synthetic control methods. However, further detailed research is required to elucidate the precise mechanisms by which Citrullus colocynthis acts against A. solani and to assess its environmental impact and effects on other living organisms.