USE OF METHANOLIC EXTRACTS OF AN ASTERACEOUS WEED Eclipta alba FOR CONTROL OF Macrophomina phaseolina

Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid is a destructive fungal phytopathogen causing diseases in hundreds of plant species. No registered fungicide is available so far to control this pathogen. This study was carried out to explore the antifungal activity of methanolic extracts of different parts of Eclipta alba (L.) Hassk, a weed of family Asteraceae, against M. phaseolina. Different concentrations (0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5%) of methanolic extracts of leaf, stem, root and inflorescence of this weed were evaluated against the target fungal pathogen using malt extract broth as growth medium. In general, extracts of all the plant parts exhibited variable antifungal activity. There was a linear and inverse relationship between fungal biomass and extract concentrations. Leaf and stem extracts showed the best antifungal activities resulting in up to 64% and 61% decrease in biomass of M. phaseolina, respectively. Methanolic extracts of root and inflorescence were proved comparatively less effective than extracts of other plant parts and reduced fungal biomass up to 32% and 19%, respectively.