Synergistic fungicidal efficacy of formulations of neem oil, nicotinic acid and Ferula asafoetida with .ALPHA., .BETA.-unsaturated carbonyl compounds against Sclerotium rolfsii ITCC 5226 & Macrophomina phaseolina ITCC 0482

Abstract

Ninety formulations of neem oil (Azadirachta indica), N1; nicotinic acid, N2; and Ferula asafoetida, N3 at different concentrations with α, β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds (1a–1i), were screened in vitro against Sclerotium rolfsii ITCC 5226 and Macrophomina phaseolina ITCC 0482 following the Food Poisoning Method. Formulation 3 : 1,1a-N2(−) was found to be the most effective against S. rolfsii, enhancing the activity of 1a 2.7 times at 66 ppm, whereas 3 : 1,1f-N3 was found to be 5 times more active against M. phaseolina than 1f alone. A number of other formulations also showed significant synergistic effect in increasing fungicidal activity. The current study showed that the combination of synthetic and natural products may be an effective novel alternate approach to control pathogenic fungi.