Bio-Efficacy Of Fungicides and Botanicals in management of aspergillus fruit Rot Of Lime (Citrus Aurantifolia) in vitro and in vivo

Carbendazim, benomyl and carbendazim (12%) + mancozeb (63%) (Sixer 75% WP) at both the concentrations (500 & 1000 ppm) completely inhibited the mycelial growth of Aspergillus niger infecting citrus fruits. The severity of Aspergillus fruit rot was significantly lowest in fruits treated with benomyl at 1000 ppm cone, both in pre- (6.75%) and post-inoculation (8.25%) treatments. The leaf extracts (10%) of tulsi (Ocimum sanctum L.), datura (Datura stramonium L), lemon grass (Cymbopogan flexuosus), nilgiri (Eucalyptus sp), citronella grass (Cymbopogan winterians), ginger (Zingiber officinale Rose) rhizome extract and fruit extract of bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) gave complete inhibition. Further ginger rhizome extract proved most effective in reducing the Aspergillus fruit rot both in pre- (8.50%) and post-inoculation (9.00%) treatments.