• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.183-196
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• 2023

Recently, the morphological and molecular features of five stain fungi infecting rubberwood (Hevea brasiliensis), namely Paecilomyces maximus, Paecilomyces formosus, Penicillium crustosum, Paecilomyces lecythidis and Aspergillus chevalieri, have been studied. Prior to this study, the authors revealed that catechin from gambir (Uncaria gambir) could inhibit the growth of the white-rot fungus Schizophyllum commune, and it was important to determine the bioactivity of the aforementioned agent against A. chevalieri. The efficacy of the biocidal agent was examined using a laboratory wooden block test. Rubberwood blocks, 8 mm in thickness, 20 mm in width, and 30 mm in length, were impregnated with catechin solution at concentrations of 6%, 9%, 12%, and 15% (w/v) using the vacuum-pressure method, and their bioactivity was monitored over three weeks through visual and scanning electron microscope assessment of fungal growth as well as the discoloration intensity of the wood samples. The results showed that catechin treatment increased the resistance of wood samples to A. chevalieri. Overall, the higher the catechin concentration, the lower the fungal growth. The lowest fungal growth was observed in the wood samples treated with 12% and 15% catechin (score of 0), demonstrating no discoloration. In contrast, the fungal growth score of the untreated wood samples reached 4, indicating severe discoloration. Catechins appear to be adequate biofungicides against stain fungi in rubberwood.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.268-277
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• 2017

Fusarium head bight (FHB) is a devastating disease on major cereal crops worldwide which causes primarily by Fusarium graminearum. Synthetic fungicides are generally used in conventional agriculture to control FHB. Their prolonged usage has led to environmental issues and human health problems. This has prompted interest in developing environmentally friendly biofungicides, including botanical fungicides. In this study, a total 100 plant extracts were tested for antifungal activity against F. graminearum. The crude extract of Pterocarpus santalinus heartwood showed the strongest antifungal activity and contained two antifungal metabolites which were identified as ${\alpha}$-cedrol and widdrol by GC-MS analysis. ${\alpha}$-Cedrol and widdrol isolated from P. santalinus heartwood extract had 31.25 mg/l and 125 mg/l of minimal inhibitory concentration against the spore germination of F. graminearum, and also showed broad spectrum antifungal activities against various plant pathogens. In addition, the wettable powder type formulation of heartwood extract of P. santalinus decreased FHB incidence in dose-dependent manner and suppressed the development of FHB with control values of 87.2% at 250-fold dilution, similar to that of chemical fungicide (92.6% at 2,000-fold dilution). This study suggests that the heartwood extract of P. santalinus could be used as an effective biofungicide for the control of FHB.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.413-420
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the control efficacy of major environment-friendly control agents against powdery mildew, as affected by the application condition such as disease-developing stage and microclimate, as compared with the efficacy of pesticides in plug seedling of three Cucurbitaceae vegetables, including cucumber, melon, and oriental melon. Single or combined application of major six environment-friendly control agents was used in the experiment: two biofungicide (Ampelomyces quisqualis 94013 and Bacillus subtilis Y1336), two plant extracts (neem oil and extracts of Rheum undulatum), and two mineral materials (wettable sulfur powder and lime bordeaux mixture). These control agents were treated to the plug seedlings for preventing powdery mildew and curative applications for managing powdery mildew. In all treatments, the disease incidence declined as daily average temperatures increased to $30^{\circ}C$ for consecutive 6~8 days with maximum temperature over $40^{\circ}C$. In preventative application, the control efficacy against powdery mildew was the highest in the treatment of wettable sulfur powder, and lowest in the B. subtilis Y1336, with values of 20~40%. In cucumber seedlings, the preventive single application of neem oil or wettable sulfur powder was more effective than curative application of fungicides, while the control efficacy of these agents was similar to those of fungicides in melon seedlings. The single application of R. undulatum extracts was also effective in preventing the disease for both cucumber and melon seedlings, showing a higher control efficacy than those of biofungicides during seedling stage. The treatment of water spray was not effective and showed a higher disease incidence than the untreated control plot in the oriental melon and melon seedlings. The curative application with environment friendly control agents, after powdery mildew was first detected, could not successfully controlled the disease at the middle stage (5~10% of disease incidence) of disease development. The curative combined application of [R. undulatum extracts (1st application) + wettable sulfur powder (2nd) + neem oil (3rd)] showed the highest control efficacy among the other treatments, with control value over 80% at the early stage (less than 1% of disease incidence) of disease development.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.145-151
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• 2016

Chemical fungicides have reduced Fusarium head blight (FHB) severity. However, by the effects of fungicide residues, they can only be used up to 30 days before time of harvest. Therefore, the development of new biofungicides that are applicable until harvest is required. In order to select plant extracts having antifungal activity against Fusarium graminearum for the control of FHB, we investigated the inhibitory effects of 225 medicinal plant extracts on spore germination of F. graminearum. Of these plant extracts, the methanol extract of Cirsium japonicum (CJ) roots showed the strongest antifungal activity. Through solvent partitioning, repeated column chromatography, and spore germination bioassay, two chemicals were purified and then their chemical structures were identified as ciryneol C (CC) and 1-heptadecene-11,13-diyne-8,9,10-triol (HD-ol) which are polyacetylene substances. Two active compounds effectively inhibited the germination of F. graminearum macroconidia; HD-ol ($IC_{50}$ of $3.17{\mu}g/ml$) showed stronger spore germination inhibitory activity than that of CC ($IC_{50}$ of $28.14{\mu}g/ml$). In addition, the wettable powder type formulation of ethyl acetate extract of CJ roots suppressed the development of FHB in dose-dependent manner, with control values of 78.92% and 31.56% at 250- and 500-fold dilutions, respectively. Combining these findings suggest that the crude extract of CJ roots containing polyacetylene compounds could be used as botanical fungicide for the control of FHB.