Potential of carvacrol as plant growth-promotor and green fungicide against fusarium wilt disease of perennial ryegrass

Hamza Saghrouchni; Azeddin El Barnossi; Ibrahim Mssillou; Isilay Lavkor; Tahsin Ay; Mohammed Kara; Abdullah A Alarfaj; Abdurahman Hajinur Hirad; Hiba-Allah Nafidi; Mohammed Bourhia; Isil Var

doi:10.3389/fpls.2023.973207

Potential of carvacrol as plant growth-promotor and green fungicide against fusarium wilt disease of perennial ryegrass

Front Plant Sci. 2023 Feb 10:14:973207. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2023.973207. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Natural and Applied Sciences, Çukurova University, Adana, Türkiye.
² Laboratory of Biotechnology, Environment, Agri-Food and Health, Faculty of Sciences Dhar El Mehraz, Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah University, Fez, Morocco.
³ Laboratory of Natural Substances, Pharmacology, Environment, Modeling, Health & Quality of Life, Faculty of Sciences Dhar El Mehraz, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdallah University, Fez, Morocco.
⁴ Mycology unit Biological Control Research Institute, Adana, Türkiye.
⁵ Laboratory of Biotechnology, Conservation and Valorisation of Natural Resources, Faculty of Sciences Dhar El Mehraz, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdallah University, Fez, Morocco.
⁶ Department of Botany and Microbiology College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
⁷ Department of Food Science, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada.
⁸ Laboratory of Chemisty and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ibn Zohr University, Laayoune, Morocco.
⁹ Department of Food Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Çukurova University, Adana, Türkiye.

Abstract

Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) is a valuable forage and soil stabilisation crop. Perennial crops have long been associated with good environmental performance and ecosystem stability. Vascular wilt diseases caused by Fusarium species are the most damaging plant diseases affecting both woody perennials and annual crops. Therefore, the aim of the present study was the assessment of the preventive and growth-promoting effects of carvacrol against Fusarium oxysporum, F. solani, and F. nivale (phylogenetically analyzed on the basis of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions) causing vascular wilt of ryegrass in vitro and under greenhouse conditions. To accomplish this aim, various parameters were monitored including coleoptile development, rhizogenesis, the incidence of coleoptile lesions, disease index, the visual appearance of ryegrass health, ryegrass organic matter and soil fungal load. The results obtained showed that F. nivale was highly harmful to ryegrass seedlings compared to other Fusarium species. Furthermore, carvacrol with 0.1 and 0.2 mg/mL protected significantly the seedlings against Fusarium wilt diseases both in vitro and in the greenhouse. Simultaneously, carvacrol also functioned as a seedling growth promoter, as is reflected in all monitored parameters, such as the recovery of seedling height and root length, and the development of new leaf buds and secondary roots. Carvacrol proved to be effective plant growth promoter and a bio-fungicide against Fusarium vascular diseases.

Keywords: Lolium perenne; bio-fungicide; carvacrol; fusarium wilt; perennial ryegrass; plant growth promotor.