Antifungal activity of Conocephalum conicum(L) Dumort. (Marchantiophyta) against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici

Tomato, a high valuevegetable crop, suffers huge production losses in tropics due to a wilt disease caused by Fusarium oxysporumf. sp.lycopersici. Present study was undertaken to find an effective biocontrol method to check fusarium wilt in order to curb the losses suffered by the crop growers. Organic extracts(acetone, methanol/ethanol) of thalloid bryophytes (Conocephalumconicum (L.) Dumort. andMarchantiapapillataRaddi subsp. grossibarba(Steph.) Bischl.)were tested against F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersiciusing disc diffusion and micro broth dilution assay.Methanol extract of C.conicum (L.) Dumort. (CCDM) showed significantly high antifungal activity (85.5% mycelial inhibition; 31.25g/mL MIC and 125g/mL MFC).Potential of methanol extract was tested in a glasshouse experiment on tomato, which illustrated the efficacy of the plant extract to control the fusarial wilt. Morphological and ultrastructural alterationsin CCDM treated fusarium myceliawere observed in scanning electron microscopy. GC-MS analysis of CCDM extract showed the presence of51 constituents, and the dominant compounds werebis (bibenzyl), acyclic alkanes, fatty acids, sesquiterpenpoids and steroids. The study suggested that C. conicum being an efficient source of Riccardin C like antifungal compounds provides a potent and eco-friendly alternative to conventional fungicides in vegetables.