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Abstract

Background and Objective The chemical control of papaya anthracnose used by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides is a crucial problem. Plant extracts are emerging as safer alternatives to conventional fungicides for the control of plant diseases. The present investigation was conducted with the objectives of evaluating six different plant extracts for their antifungal activity against C. gloeosporioides. Materials and Methods Plant species, Cassia fistula, Lantana camara, Moringa oleifera, Ocimum tenuiflorum, Ricinus communis and Solanum torvum were screened for inhibition of mycelium growth and conidia formation. The C. gloeosporioides spore suspension of 1105 spores mL1501 was sprayed evenly on treated papaya fruits with each plant extract and control fruits were sprayed with sterile distilled water. Diseases severity, soluble solids content, pH and fruit mass loss were evaluated. Results Methanol extract of L. camara of 100 L from the concentration of 50 mg mL1501 resulted in the highest inhibition of mycelia growth and conidia formation 90.7170.85 followed by O. tenuiflorum 45.71 and M. oleifera 44.76 against C. gloeosporioides. Out of tested extracts, L. camara gave the lowest disease severity index at 20 concentration and maintained optimum quality of papaya fruit during 7 days experimental period. Conclusion The study revealed that L. camara exhibit strong antifungal activities against C. gloeosporioides and has potential for being formulated into botanical fungicides against anthracnose of papaya.