Evaluación del efecto inhibitorio de aceites esenciales sobre Aspergillus flavus y Fusarium solani (Mart.)Sacc., hongos autóctonos del cultivo de cacao

Cocoa cultivation has been growing in recent years, positioning Colombia in the international competition Cacao of Excellence “as the best in the world” in 2024. However, the country still faces several challenges in the production chain of the crop, including the proliferation of pathogenic fungi that can develop in the different stages of production. This research evaluated the inhibitory effect of essential oils on the growth of Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium solani (Mart.)Sacc., native pathogenic fungi isolated from cocoa crops in the department of Norte de Santander, Colombia. The in vitro analyses were performed using the technique of diffusion in PDA medium through experimental units consisting of the pathogen, the four essential oils, three concentrations per oil, with three replicates for a total of 54 experimental units including controls, while the in vivo assays were performed directly on the cocoa pod rind, following the same design. The percentage inhibition (% PICR) was calculated from mycelial growth and using statistical methods based on the characteristics and distribution of the data, the lethal dose 90 (LD90) was determined for each oil by means of a dose-response regression model fitted from a non-linear regression model. The results indicate that anise, eucalyptus and soon relief oils effectively inhibited the growth of the two pathogens at concentrations ranging from 20 μL/mL to 48 μL/mL, which could be used as an eco-friendly alternative that needs to be scaled up to the field phase to evaluate its effectiveness in situ.