Effect of Various Plant Extracts on Dry Root Rot of Chillies Caused by Sclerotium rolfsii

Eight different plant extracts were evaluated in vitro against Sclerotium rolfsii causing dry ischolar_main rot in chillies. Among these, leaf extract of neem (Azadirachta indica) caused maximum inhibition of mycelial growth (80.74%), followed by periwinkle Vinca rosea (78.8%) and bottlebrush (Callistemon, 74.8%) respectively. Sclerotial production was inhibited to an extent of 11% and the inhibition caused was maximum with neem extract, followed by Polyalthia longifolia and V. rosea extracts. Though sclerotial germination was inhibited by 30% to 95% in various treatments, the most effective treatment was that of neem leaf extract (95%), followed by ginger extract (92%).