1. REHANA BADAR - Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan.
2. ASMA AHMED - Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan.
3. MEHMOODA MUNAZIR - Department of Botany, Government College Women University, Sialkot, Pakistan.
4. SHAISTA JAVAID - Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan.
5. HAFSA WAHEED - Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan.
6. RAFIA MEHMOOD - Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan.
7. SABA HABIB - Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan.
8. FARZANA BASHIR - Pakistan Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Lahore, Pakistan.
9. SHAMMA FIRDOUS - Pakistan Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Lahore, Pakistan.
Triticum aestivum (L) is grown as an important food source around the globe and its demand is increasing day by day with the increasing human population. But its cultivation is becoming challenging and difficult due to the attack of Ustilago tritici due to which great yield losses are reported worldwide. Utilization of chemical-based fungicides against U. tritici is expensive with hazardous impact on human health while local farmers are unaware of the use of resistant varieties, which is also increasing the potential threat of fungal spread to non-resistant varieties. Loose smut of wheat is a devastating disease of wheat which spreads due to attack of U. tritici which common seed is born disease. Present experimental study was split into two consecutive years 2019-2021. Fungal strains were isolated during first growing season from Morocco (W1) the most susceptible wheat variety. While Galaxy 2013 (W2) was infected with stereo microscopically identified teliospores of U. tritici which were isolated during the first growing season. Plant extracts of Azadirachta indica L. (AIE), Nicotiana tabacum L (NTE), Eugenia jambolana L (EJE) and Eucalyptus globules L. (EGE) were applied as an experimental organic fungicide by keeping Tebucanazole DS as positive control in a Completely Randomized Block Design (CRBD). Statistically analyzed results showed that disease severity of U. tritici was lowest by AIE (12%), as compared to untreated plot (100%). While disease control was only seen among AIE and NTE (88 and 82) % after CBF (100 % disease control). Therefore, both of these plant extracts are recommended for the isolation of its active ingredient for the synthesis of safe alternative to chemical-based fungicides.
Biotrophic, pathogen, smut, wheat, phytotoxicity.