MORINGA (MORINGA OLEIFERA) LEAF EXTRACTS INHIBIT
SPORE GERMINATION OF ALTERNARIA SOLANI, CAUSAL
AGENT OF EARLY BLIGHT DISEASE OF TOMATO (SOLANUM
LYCOPERSICUM)

MORINGA (MORINGA OLEIFERA) LEAF EXTRACTS INHIBIT
SPORE GERMINATION OF ALTERNARIA SOLANI, CAUSAL
AGENT OF EARLY BLIGHT DISEASE OF TOMATO (SOLANUM
LYCOPERSICUM)

CULVER MVUMI

ELIZABETH NGADZE

DIANA MARAIS

ELSA S DU TOIT

BRIGHTON M MVUMI

Alternaria solani is highly infective and can sporulate on tomato at 13.2 × 10 6 spores mL−1. The fungicidal effect of
Moringa oleifera leaf chloroform and aqueous extracts (MLCE and MLAE, respectively) was investigated in vitro
to determine the inhibitory effect on germination of spores (conidia) of A. solani. Mixtures of spore suspension
and MLCE, as well as MLAE (1:1), were prepared and dropped on slides by micropipette with 20 μL spore
suspension of A. solani and 20 μL of MLCE and MLAE. The two treatments, MLCE and MLAE, were applied at
four concentrations (62.5, 125, 250 and 500 mg mL−1) and compared with negative (distilled water; no extracts)
and positive (diflucan, a commercial fungicide) controls with five replicates. The two extracts showed relatively
high inhibitory effects on the germination of conidia from the lowest to the highest concentration. Germination
of conidia decreased with increase in the concentrations of the extracts. The study showed that 250 mg mL−1 is
the optimum concentration for both MLCE and MLAE. The highest concentration inhibited germination (0.0%)
in both extracts. Based on the results from the present study, MLCE and MLAE are both effective in inhibiting
germination of A. solani conidia

South African Journal of Plant and Soil

2017