By-products of Piper aduncum in the control of fusariosis in black pepper plant

Abstract

Fusariosis (Fusarium solani f.sp. piperis) is one of the most damaging diseases of black pepper crop in the Amazon zone and the application of organic materials to the soil may be an alternative to control this disease. Leaf residues of Piper aduncum were evaluated before and after the extraction of essential oil, as additives to the soil inoculated with Fusarium solani, in the survival and morphophysiological behavior of black pepper seedlings. The experiments were conducted at Embrapa Eastern Amazônia, Belém, PA. The effects of the by-products of the distillation of the essential oil of P. aduncum on the survival to fusariosis in black pepper seedlings and the effect of dry and crushed leaves of P. aduncum, preincubated in the soil, in the incidence of fusariosis and in the behavior of black pepper seedlings were evaluated. The addition of solid residues from P. aduncum oil extraction to the soil increased the survival of seedlings by 80% and in the presence of dry and crushed leaves of P. aduncum the survival was 83%. The net photosynthesis of the seedlings increased in the presence of residues of P. aduncum. The residues from the extraction of the essential oil of P. aduncum and its dry and crushed leaves, without oil extraction, have potential for use in the control of fusariosis in black pepper plants.