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Online ISSN : 2349-8080 Issues : 12 per year Publisher : Excellent Publishers Email : editorinchiefijcrbp@gmail.com |
2Catholic University Institute of Buea, P.O Box 563 Buea, Cameroon
Coffee berry disease (CBD) caused by Colletotrichum kahawae L. is one of the major threads to the production of Arabica coffee in Africa. The antifungal potential of aqueous and ethanol extracts of three plant species (Carica papaya, Cymbopogon citratus and Eucalyptus saligna) against Colletotrichum kahawae was evaluated in vitro and on detached green berries. Plant extracts were applied at different concentration on in vitro C. kahawae and on detached green coffee berries simultaneously with pathogen inoculation. Results showed that aqueous extracts of C. papaya, E. saligna and C. citratus completely inhibited the in vitro growth of C. kahawae at the concentrations of 20 and 25 mg/ml while the ethanol extracts pathogen inhibition was at a concentration of 8 mg/ml. On detached coffee green berries, extracts from E. saligna and of C. papaya significantly reduced disease development. This study indicated the possibility of using E. saligna and of C. papaya extracts as an alternative for coffee berry disease management. However, a base for future tests under the natural conditions in the field is required.
