Harnessing nature: Phytoextracts as sustainable remedies for fungal crop diseases

Since from dawn human civilization have relied on nature for solutions, finding natural products to be the most effective in maintaining development and the health of our environment. Fungal pathogens are a major contaminant in agroecosystems, causing around 70–80 % of microbial crop losses. To combat these diseases in vegetables, synthetic fungicides are used, but they are toxic and harmful to the environment. To address the rising global demand for food due to population growth, managing agriculture in a healthy, eco-friendly, and profitable manner is the prime target. Sustainable agriculture is most effective when combined with natural fungicides to reduce fungal infections in the agrarian ecosystem. Present study enlists the most common and effective natural plant based products which aimed to assess the antifungal efficacy of methanolic, ethanolic and aqueous extracts from three different medicinal plants, viz. Inula racemosa Hook. f, Salvia moorcroftiana Wall. Ex Benth and Euphorbia wallichii Hook f. these different plant extractswere screened for their antifungal activity against various phytopathogenic fungi, viz. Alternaria burnsii , Albifimbria viridis , Nigrospora sp., Mucor fragilis , Fusarium chlamydosporum , F. equiseti , F. solani , Curvularia lunata , Neocosmospora falciformis and Trichothecium roseum . The results in this study indicate that the combination of plant extracts has promising synergistic activity against plant pathogens, with concentration being a key factor in their effectiveness. These results provided useful information as a guideline for further evaluation of the effects of these extracts against plant diseases in greenhouse and field studies. • Reliance on Nature: Human civilization has historically relied on natural products for development and environmental health. • Impact of Fungal Pathogens: Fungal pathogens cause 70–80 % of microbial crop losses in agroecosystems, with synthetic fungicides being harmful to the environment. • Sustainable Agriculture: Combining sustainable agriculture with natural fungicides is essential for managing agriculture in an eco-friendly and profitable manner. • Plant Extracts Study: The study evaluated the antifungal efficacy of methanolic, ethanolic, and aqueous extracts from three medicinal plants against various phytopathogenic fungi, showing promising results for future greenhouse and field studies.