Antifungal efficacy of three plant extracts in the suppression of panama disease in banana plants

Three plant extracts from Acacia nilotica, Lawsonia inermis, and Ziziphus spina-christi were evaluated for their antifungal efficacy in the suppression of Panama disease in banana plants. The plants were collected within Niger state environs and were processed following standard procedures. The pathogen was isolated from banana stem showing symptoms of disease on Potato Dextrose Agar. The isolated pathogen was inoculated on two months old healthy banana plantlets obtained from National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology to ascertain its Pathogenicity. The plant extracts were examined on banana seedlings (in vivo experiment) in the screen house for their antifungal efficacy on the pathogen using irrigation method, the seedlings irrigated with sterile distilled water and those irrigated with mancozeb served as the controls (negative and positive) respectively. The results showed a good percentage survival rate of the banana plantlets. Although, the percentage survival of the banana plantlets irrigated with mancozeb had a higher (55 %) survival rate than the three plant extracts; 49 %, 50 % and 20 % (A. nilotica, L. inermis and Z. spina-christi) extracts respectively, but had no significant differences (P < 0.05) in the plantlets treated with A. nilotica (49 %) leaves at 75 % and L. inermis (50 and 48 %) leaves at 75 and 50 % concentrations respectively. Field trials of these plant extracts on the control of panama disease are recommended, since they are ecofriendly and could easily be made via a simple process of infusion, they can serve as substitute for conventional fungicides.