In-vivo investigation on antifungal properties of leaf extracts of certain medicinal plants through seed treatment and foliar sprays against rice blast disease (Magnaporthe grisea) in Kashmir, India

A field experiment was carried out at Rice Research Station, Khudwani Anantnag (J&K) India during kharif 2008–2009 to study the efficacy of leaf extracts of some medicinal plants viz, P.communis, M. longifolia, C. officinalis, C. album, C. sativa and D. stramonium as seed treatment and foliar sprays against rice blast disease in-vivo. The experiment was laid down in (RBD) with three replications. The incidence and severity of blast disease was recorded at 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 days after sowing by using SES (0–9) scale. The results revealed that seeds of rice variety China −1007 treated with leaf extracts of Pyrus communis @ 250mlkg−1 seeds recorded lowest disease incidence (0.16%), least disease severity (0.10%) and only three days for the germination/sprouting of seeds, superior seedling vigour index (4.0) and remarkably significant increase in grain yield in both the conditions as compared to control followed by Calendula officinalis (incidence = 0.60% and severity = 0.20%) and Mentha longifolia (incidence = 0.65% and severity = 0.25%) with remarkable 4 days of seed germination/sprouting. Other plant leaves extracts were also found effective but to a lesser extent. The results also indicate that the three sprays of standard solution @ 15% of leaf extract of Pyrus communis greatly exterminated disease incidence suppression (3.43%) on tillering, (4.15%) on booting and (0.11%) on neck stages of the crop. Apart of treatments, low grain yield, maximum disease incidence on tillering (20.00%), booting (22.41%) and neck blast stages (2.21%) was observed in unsprayed plots. Keywords: Antifungal, Blast disease, Magnaporthe grisea, Phytoextracts, Rice, Yiel