Bioactivity of bryophyte extracts against Botrytis cinerea, Alternaria solani and Phytophthora infestans

Plant extracts can be used as crude extracts, alternative sources of known fungicides, new leads for fungicides and resistance inducers for an integrated pest management strategy. They are the point of interest in discovery of organic pesticides. Though several phytochemical constituents and medicinal uses of bryophytes are known, their potentials in the course of crop protection remained yet little or unexplored. The scope of this work was to study extracts from 17 bryophytes as source of potential antifungal agents under in vitro and in vivo circumstances. Results showed that bryophyte extracts from Bazzania trilobata, Diplophyllum albicans, Sphagnum quinquefarium, Dicranodontium denudatum and Hylocommium splendens with high level of inhibition (>50%) of the mycelial growth of Botrytis cineria and Alternaria solani. Extracts of B. trilobata and D. albicans significantly reduced disease severity of Phytophthora infestans on tomatoes. In conclusion, the study indicated that extracts fron bryophytes can be used as natural sources for alternative pest management tools.