ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY OF EXTRACTS FROM HIERBA SANTA (Piper auritum) AND JARILLA (Baccharis glutinosa) AGAINST Fusarium spp.

Abstract

Diseases caused by Fusarium in Agave are increasing and causing economic losses. Then, it is necessary to seek alternatives in pathogenic prevention and control to reduce the use of chemical fungicides, thus promoting a type of disease control which is friendly to the environment. The oils and leaf extracts of some plants are efficient in controlling pests and diseases. Piper auritum (“hierba santa”) contains essential oils, which fulfill ecological functions such as attracting pollinators and causing allelopathic effects. Baccharis glutinosa (“jarilla”) is also used in the treatment of various infectious diseases. Different extracts from plants have biological activity against microorganisms that affect important crops. The objective of this research was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of essential oil and extracts from two plants with traditional use in the state of Chiapas on the phytopathogenic (Fusarium spp.) fungi of Agave spp. Extracts from P. auritum and B. glutinosa were tested against phytopathogenic fungi, in a complete randomized experimental design. ANOVA was performed with six treatments and three replicates per treatment, used on three species of Fusarium. The essential oil from leaves of Piper auritum had the greatest (96 h) significant inhibition effect on Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. comiteca (75.32%), Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. tequilana (86.57%) and Fusarium solani f. sp. comiteca (63.36%). Thus, P. auritum showed a clear fungistatic effect.