Plant-pathogen interactions affected by karanja oil

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Agricultural crop plants require many agricultural inputs, including pesticides, growth regulators, fertilizers and**other synthetic and organic products. For organic production, a careful assessment of all possible avenues for**pest and disease control, and efficacy data and modes of action, need to be well studied. Sources of**organically-certified products for disease control in Canada are currently limited to a few well-known and**widely used materials that include formulations of bacteria and chelated chemicals. Plant extracts have**attracted wide interest but the consistency and stability of the product has not enabled their widespread use.**There are a few examples eg. giant knotweed (Reynoutria) where plant extracts (available as Regalia) have**been shown to be useful for managing diseases on a range of plants . Plants naturally contain a wide range of**phenolic compounds, terpenoids, flavonoids, phytoalexins and other chemicals that have potential antifungal**properties. In this research, formulated extracts derived from the Karanj tree (Pongamia pinnata) will be tested**for management of three important fungal pathogens that infect greenhouse cucumber plants and medical**cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) grown in greenhouses. This tree species contains high levels of flavonoids and**phenolic compounds in seeds. The in vitro toxicity of Activate formulations will be tested against mycelial**growth and spore germination of the three pathogens. Whole plant experiments that include replicated**treatments will evaluate whether the formulations have effects on plant growth (height and dry weight) as well**as disease reduction on roots (Fusarium) and leaves (powdery mildew and Botrytis) of the two plant species.**The research will investigate whether induced levels of phenolic compounds, antioxidants and signalling**molecules such as jasmonic acid and salicylic acid, are increased in treated plants. The results will provide**additional insight into the mechanisms of how these plant-derived products affect plant growth and advance**our knowledge on fungal-plant interactions, leading to management of problematic diseases on valuable**horticultural crops and provide additional opportunities for organic uses of plant extracts for crop production