Biological control of the causal organism (macrophomina phaseolina) of stem rot disease of jute

Jute is known as the Golden fiber of Bangladesh. Pathogen poses a great problem to the cultivation of jute by inflicting severe yield losses. To control this pathogen, the antifungal effect of plant extracts of three plants species were determined by in vitro study using cold water, hot water, cow urine and ethanol. All concentrations of ethanol extract of Azadirachta indica showed 100% growth inhibition against M. phaseolina. The ethanol and cow urine extract of T. patula at 15, 20 and 25% concentrations showed 100% inhibition. T. patula extract showed most effectiveness than A. indica and A. vasica extract. Ethanol extracts were most effective to controlling M. phaseolina than cold water, hot water and cow urine extracts. The antifungal effects were also determined by in vitro study using three fungicides at different concentrations. Among the three fungicides, Cupravit were most effective to controlling M. phaseolina than Dithane M45 and Redomil.