Abstract
Fusarium oxysporium was isolated and identified as a pathogenic organism causing wilt of eggplant in an experiment conducted at Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. Water and
ethanol leaf extracts of Senna alata, Azadirachta indica and Moringa oleifera were evaluated against the wilt causing fungus both in vitro and in vivo. The water and
ethanol leaf extracts of plant materials inhibited the mycelial radial growth of the pathogen in culture though to varying degrees and concentration dependent with
50 % concentration recording the highest inhibitory effect. The mean inhibitory effect of the plant extracts against the growth of the fungus in culture was more with
ethanol extracts than water extracts with ethanol extracts of A. indica having the highest and significant (p < 0.05) inhibitory effect (92.05%) followed by ethanol
extract of M. oleifera (85.62%) which was not significantly (p < 0.05) different with ethanol extract of S. alata (85.26%). The water and ethanol extracts of the plant
materials had reduced significantly (p < 0.05) the wilt development and spread in eggplant when compared with the control experiment treated with only water and
ethanol respectively indicating the presence of fungitoxic compounds in the extracts of the plant materials. The plant extracts were extracting solvent and concentration
dependent with ethanol and 50% concentration recording the lowest disease incidence and severity. At average, ethanol and water extracts of A. indica had the lowest
disease incidence of 44. 05 % and 51.29% and severity of 3.07 and 3.34 respectively. This was followed by S. alata ethanol extract (48.54 % and 3.09) and water
extracts (54.30% and 3.73) and M. oleifera ethanol extract (50.52% and 3.41) and water extract (56.85% and 3.94) for disease incidence and severity respectively.
KEY WORDS: Fusarium, wilt, plant extract, Solanum melongena.
jaerem NEW A.C. AMADIOHA
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