Control of Fusarium spp. causing damping-off of pine seedlings by means of selected essential oils

Damping-off is regarded as one of the most serious risks to pine plantations and the disease poses a potentially devastating threat to the future sustainability of the South African softwood industry. In spite of numerous prevention methods being tested, no absolute means of controlling the fungus is available to nurseries. In this study, 10 commercially available essential oils were assessed in vitro for their antifungal activity against four strains of Fusarium. Considering the efficacy, as reflected by the MIC values obtained, cost and availability of the essential oils, lemongrass is proposed as the most promising candidate for an in vivo study, first on a small scale and then under commercial conditions. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.