ESSENTIAL OIL OF LEMONGRASS PATHOGENS ON FOREST AND AGRICULTURAL SPECIES

Abstract

Belonging to Verbenaceae, Lippia alba (Mill) N. E. Brown family's used in folk medicine because its analgesic properties, calming and spasmolytic. In this work, we tried to evaluate the essential oil effect on the mycelial growth of Fusarium spp. obtained from Anacardium occidentale L. (cashew); Zea mays L. (corn); Capsicum annuum L. (pepper); Couratari oblongifolia Ducke & R. Knuth (tauari) and Rhizoctonia solani obtained of the species Glycine max L. (soy bean). In the bioassay, the previously filtered oil was added in PDA (Potato-Dextrose-Agar) medium, homogenized and poured into Petri dishes. Then, disks containing fungal structures were deposited, centrally, on the PDA plates and the oil at their respective concentrations. The control treatment consisted of plates with culture medium without the presence of oil. The data were obtained by measuring the diameter of the fungal colonies for five days. All concentrations reduced the mycelial growth of phytopathogens in relation to the control, presenting an average inhibition percentage of 88.5%. For the isolates of Fusarium spp. of cashew and pepper, as well as Rhizoctonia solani isolated from soy bean, the oil presented fungicidal effect; suggesting studies, in vivo, to verify it’s fungitoxic effect, and chemical analyzes for investigation and isolation of the active compounds of the species.KEYWORDS: Alternative control, Fungicidal effect, Reduced growth.