In Vitro Control of Bacterial Pathogens Affecting Tomatoes from Irrigated Tomato Farms in Watari, Dawakin Tofa, Kano State Using Plant Extracts

Abstract

A study was conducted to control bacterial pathogens affecting tomatoes from irrigated tomato farms in Watari, Dawakin Tofa, Kano State, using plant extracts. Infested plant parts and soils were collected for isolation and identification of pathogenic bacteria using morphological and biochemical characterization. Based on traditional knowledge, three plants were collected and taken to the laboratory for herbarium identification using voucher numbers and binomial naming. The phytochemicals associated with the three plants were determined by ethanolic extraction and screening. The effect of the plant extracts on the culture of bacterial colonies was also determined. The study found that the effectiveness of plant extracts against bacterial isolates compared favorably with synthetic bactericides. Using different concentrations (1 g/5 mL, 1 g/10 mL, and 1 g/15 mL), the results showed that plant extract from P. biglobosa, T. indica, and E. globulus can be incorporated into integrated pest and disease management in tomatoes and help reduce the overuse of synthetic chemicals. 1 g/5 mL of the ethanolic extracts of E. globulus had the highest antibacterial activity, with a 15 mm zone of inhibition against E. faecalis, 18 mm zone of inhibition against P. syringae, and a 12 mm zone of inhibition against B. subtilis when compared with 20 mm and 15 mm of synthetic bactericides.