Evaluation of Antifungal Potential of Phytoextracts and Chemicals against Root Rot of Soybean caused by Rhizoctonia solani

Abstract

Rhizoctonia solani is a soil-borne fungal pathogen that causes root rot diseases in various crops. The soybean crop is also susceptible to this pathogen, resulting in severe yield losses. Due to its soil-borne nature, controlling infestations with a single treatment is challenging. Therefore, the current study was designed to evaluate synthetic chemicals and phytoextracts as an integrated approach to manage soybean root rot caused by R. solani under laboratory and greenhouse conditions. Diseased samples were collected from the field area of the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad. The pathogen was isolated and identified as Rhizoctonia solani using available literature at the Phytopathology Laboratory, Department of Plant Pathology. Four fungicides (Tilt, Cabriotop, Amister top, and Champion) and phytoextracts (Garlic, Ginger, Turmeric, and Eucalyptus) were investigated at three different concentrations under in vitro conditions using the poisoned food technique. The findings revealed that significant inhibition of mycelial growth was observed with Tilt fungicide (4.5 mm) and Garlic extract (12.92 mm) at all concentrations. Subsequently, these two were further investigated under greenhouse conditions, both individually and in combination. Results indicated that the combination of Tilt + Garlic was highly effective against soybean root rot, with the lowest disease incidence of 4.52%, followed by the sole application of Tilt (13.35%) and Garlic (15.75%), respectively. Therefore, it was concluded that using more than one treatment in an integrated approach can be more effective in controlling soil-borne pathogens such as R. solani.