• Dr. Deepika. A. Dhaware

Sustainable Disease Management: Impact of Aqueous Leaf Extracts on Colletotrichum orbiculare Growth. The advent of resistance of plant pathogens to synthetic fungicides and their environmental impact has prompted a move towards accepting alternative and environmentally sustainable approaches to disease management. The antifungal activity of aqueous leaf extracts extracted from selected plants as heterogeneous mixtures against Colletotrichum orbiculare, the fungal pathogen that causes anthracnose in cucurbits crops and several other crops were examined. Fresh leaf samples of neem (Azadirachta indica), tulsi (Ocimum sanctum), garlic (Allium sativum), and custard apple (Annona squamosa), were shade dried, and extracted in distilled water. The extracts were individually assessed in vitro for their inhibitory effects on the mycelial growth of C. orbiculare using the poison food technique. Each of the extracts exhibited antifungal activity and the neem and garlic extracts demonstrated the greatest percent inhibition followed by the tulsi and custard apple extracts respectively. Microscopic observations determined that the hyphal deformity and decrease in spore formation were more pronounced over the control. The bioactive compounds that were responsible of the antifungal activity included alkaloids, flavonoids and phenolic compounds, all of which, have antimicrobial activity.

"", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.12, Issue 8, page no.e595-e599, August-2025, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2508479.pdf

"", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.12, Issue 8, page no. ppe595-e599, August-2025, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2508479.pdf