Essential oils as control agent of post-Harvest fungal diseases of kiwi fruits

Plant derived essential oils may be an alternative agent in controlling the diseases caused by phytopathogenic fungi. Antifungal activity of Ageratum conyzoides, Eupatorium odoratum and Messua ferrae oil was evaluated against phytopathogenic fungi namely Alternaria alternata, Botrytis cinerea, Fusarium oxysporum and Penicillium expensum those cause post-harvest diseases in Kiwi fruits. Essential oil of A. conyzoides inhibits 100% growth of all the four phytopathogenic fungi at 5000 and 1000ppm concentrations and at low concentrations also growth of fungi was found inhibited. Essential oil of E. odoratum inhibited 100% growth of tested fungi at 5000ppm concentration and at low concentration also growth was found restricted. Inhibition in the growth of fungi was also reported by M. ferrae but it could not restricted 100% of growth at any concentration. On the basis of results it could be concluded that essential oil of A. conyzoides may be an alternative for control of phytopathogenic fungi after performing pharmacological evaluations.