F. oxysporum is a very common pathogen causing wilt disease and affect the crop yield. Bhatia et.al. (1995), Dubey & Singh (2005) have studied inhibitory effect of pathogen in germination of seed of crops like guar and sesame respectively.

More than 2000 species belonging to77 families are known to possess antifungal properties. Singh et al. (1994), Navarro Garco et al. (2003), Sharma & Bohra (2003), Varma & Kharwar (2006) have studied various plant species for their antifungal activity. Use of chemical fungicides to control the pathogen effect create some disadvantages such as high toxicity to targeted organisms, environmental pollution and residual hazards in soil.

Review of literature has given in heading result and discussion .

Fresh leaves of 11 plants viz. Azadirachta indica, Calotropis procera, Cassia tora, Catharanthus roseus, Dalbergia sissoo, Datura innoxia, Eucalyptus rudis, Lantana camera, Lawsonia inermis, Parthinium officinalis, Riccinus communis were tried for treatment. 5 gm fresh leaves of each plant were crushed separately in 20 ml distilled water using pastle and mortor. The extracts were filtered through double layer of cheese cloth. Five replicates of 10 seed (surface sterilized with 2% sodium hypochlorite were taken randomly and treated with each of 11 aqueous extracts for four h. Ten seeds per plates were sown on sterilized moistened blotter for 8 days in Petriplate. The plates were incubated under 12 h alternating cycles of light and dark for 8 days (Anonymous,1985). Observations were made under Nikon Stereo binocular microscope. The data on seed germination, incidence of pathogen and infected seedlings were recorded after every 24 h intervals up to 8 days. The seed-ling without any symptom showing normal seed-ling growth and vigour were considered as uninfected. Seeds soaked in distilled water served as control. The percentage of seed germination, seed-ling infection and control of pathogen or percent inhibition of pathogen incidence was calculated.

The germination was effectively enhanced by all the plant extracts used. Dalbergia sissoo showed maximum effect 94% against F. oxysporum followed by Lawsonia 86%Cassia 84% Catharanthus,Datura and Parthinium 80%, Azadirachta, Calotropis and Lantana76%.

Best infection control of F. oxysporum was achieved by Dalbergia sissoo (90.90%) followed by Azadirachta indica, Calotropis procera, Lawsonia inermis (86.36%), Eucalyptus and Lantana camera (81.81%). In other plant extract it ranged from (72.72-77.77%). Incidence of pathogen was significantly controlled by all the 11 leaf extract and was maximum (91.66%) in Dalbergia sissoo and Cassia tora (Fig.A&B). Similarly Gupta et al. (1996) evaluated efficacy of leaf extracts of Azadirachta indica, Calotropis procera, Eucalyptus rudis, Parthinium  hysterophorus and Pongemia pinnetta  against Fusarium oxysporum sp. from diseased malberry plant .

Mantha spicata has also been found to have antifungal properties against F. oxyporum by Singh et al. (1994). Sharma & Triwedi (2002) have also recommended many leaf extracts to control nematodal disease of crop plants caused by Meloidogyne incognita and also fungi F.oxysporum in cumin plant.

Ogachi et al. (2006) has also studied antifungal effect of some plant extracts against F. oxysporum to control tomato wilt and found neem extract was the most effective (100%) to inhibit the mycelial growth of F. oxysporum. Tinospora cordifolia, Cymbopogon citratus and Moringa olifera showed promising antifungal potentiality against F. oxysporum sp. Ciceri with maximum inhibition in chick pea. (Dwivedi and Sangeeta,2015).

1. Anonymous 1985 International Rules of Seed Testing. International Seed Testing Association. Seed Science and Tecnol.13;299-513

2. Bhatia A, Singh, T & Singh D 1995 Infection of F.oxysporum in guar (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L) Taub. ) seeds. Acta Botanical India 23;257-259

3. Dubey A and Singh T 2005. Incidence, location and transmission of seed-borne inoculum of Fusarium moniliforme in sesame. J. Mycol.Pl. Pathol. 35(1)12-15.

4. Dwivedi, S.K. and Sangeeta2015.Efficacy of some medicinal plant extract against F. oxysporum f. cicero causing Chick pea wilt .7(2)138-146.

5. Gupta V.; Govindaiah & Datta, R.K.1996 Plant extract a nonchemical approach to control Fusarium disease of Malberry. Current Science 71(5);406-40

6. Navarro Garco, V.M.; Gonzalez, A.; Fruntes, M.; Aviles, M.; Rios, M.M.; Zepada, G.; Rajas, M.G. 2003. Antifungal activities of nine traditional Maxican plants. J. Ethanipharmacol.87(1);85-87. (4)

7. Ogachi,N; Agbenin; P.S. Marley 2006. In vitro assay of some plant extract against F. oxysporum f. sp. Lycopersici causal agent of tomato wilt Journal of Plant Protection. 46(3)215-220

8. Sharma,S and Bohra ,A.2003. Effect of extracts of some medicinal plants on F. oxysporum var. cumini. J. Mycol and Plant Pathol.33(2);323-324.

9. Sharma N & Triwedi PC 2002 Screening of leaf extracts of some plants for their nematicidal and fungicidal properties against Maloidogye incognita and F. oxysporum. Asian J.Exp.Sci. 16(1&2);21-28.

10. Singh, J; Dubey, A.K Tripathi, N.N.1994 antifungal activity of Mentha spicata. Int.J. Pharmocog.32(4);314-319.

11. Varma, C vijay and Kharwar N Ravindra 2006.Efficacy of neem leaf extract against its own fungal endophytic Curvularia lunata. Journal of Agriculture Technology 2(2);329-335.