Effects of wild plants essential oils on the growth of Phytophthra cinnamomi and Castanea sativa
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Wild plant essential oil effects on the growth control of Phytophthora cinnamomi and Castanea sativa
M. João Sousa1, Fátima Martins1, Hélio Belo1, Altino Choupina1, 2 and Anabela Martins1
1Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Escola Superior Agrária, Campus de Santa Apolónia, Apartado 1172, 5301-854 Bragança, Portugal
2CIMO- Centro de Investigação de Montanha, Campus de Santa Apolónia, Apartado 1172, 5301-854 Bragança, Portugal
Corresponding author: joaos@ipb.pt
In regions that have chestnut as the main economic resource such as in Bragança, a region in the North of Portugal, plant diseases caused by Phytophthora cinnamomi namely the chestnut ink disease are the reason for major economic losses. The prospect of an active natural product agent has a great importance, especially if this product comes from a spontaneous plant, common in this region. The essential oils are natural compounds with bactericide, fungicide and allelopathic effects, and these characteristics can be a very interesting tool to control the development of the pathogenic agents and prevent infections cause by P. cinnamomi. The essential oils were tested in different concentrations from 100% to 2% dilutions (in 70% ethanol), on P. cinnamomi mycelium after 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks of pure culture. Since the pathogen can be found in water and can be transmitted through water, their growth was simultaneously tested in the presence of imbibed paper filter with the same essential oils and concentrations, in liquid medium, in order to understand if the essential oil can affect their development in these conditions. The essential oils from Mentha pulegioides wild plants, growing in the Northeast region of Portugal were tested also in vitro for their effect on the growth of C. sativa, to see if the oils are not toxic to this plant. Preliminary results show that essential oils of Mentha species at concentrations of less than 80% can reduce and even stop the growth of P. cinnamomi, and in concentrations of less than 90% do not affect drastically the development of C. sativa in vitro.
