Efect of plant extracts applied in soil on sclerotinia sclerotiorum and common bean plants

<p></p><p>ABSTRACT The pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum can attack over 400 plant species such as potatoes, soybeans and sunflowers. This study aimed to identify the most adequate soil:sand proportion for the carpogenic germination of S. sclerotiorum sclerotia, as well as to evaluate the effect of plant extracts and their fractions on the carpogenic germination of sclerotia and on common bean plants. To identify the most adequate soil:sand proportion, the percentage of carpogenic germination was calculated. To evaluate the effect of plant extracts and fractions on sclerotia, the extracts and fractions were applied on the day the experiment was installed and after 30 days in soil:sand (1:1) substrate infested with sclerotia. To evaluate the effect of plant extracts and fractions on bean plants, the plant extracts were sprayed on plants at 30 days after sowing. Sclerotia showed greater carpogenic germination at 1:1 and 1:2 soil:sand substrate proportions. There was lower carpogenic germination for the ethyl acetate fraction obtained from vetch and the ethyl acetate fraction from S. terebinthifolius when applied at 30 days after the experiment was installed. The extracts did not present phytotoxicity to bean plants.</p><p>