“ECO-FRIENDLY APPROACH TO CONTROL DISEASES OF CROPS”
Dr. SURENDER KUMAR BHARDWAJ
Department of Botany, M. D. University, Rohtak-124 001, Haryana, India
In order to maintain the productivity of various crops, xenobiotic chemicals are being
added in the natural environment by the farmers, who enter the food chain through water, soil
and air as a result it seriously, affect the human health. According to the WHO survey, more
than 50,000 people in developing countries are annually poisoned and 5,000 die as a result of
the effects of toxic agents, used in agriculture. In India 35,000 – 40,000 tons of hazardous
chemicals are sprayed on the crops every year, instead of helping the poor, these chemicals
are causing cancer, sterility and death (Table-1). So there is an urgent need to develop
sustainable methods for these horrible diseases. As plants and their products obtained from
forests are known to possess various secondary metabolites, which showed inhibitory effect
against the growth of pathogens, therefore, these should be utilized to combat the diseases
causing pathogens. Keeping these problems in view, efforts are underway to search economic
safe phytochemicals, which could be utilized for disease control.
So, recent year I have been actively engaged in systematic study “Studies of
Antimicrobial Properties of Some Important Botanochemical Extracts against Some Plant
Pathogens”. In the present study, experiments were carried out to evaluate the antimicrobial
properties of 117 plant parts samples of 91 plants spanning over 43 families against seven
plant pathogenic fungi by the food poisoning method and five plant pathogenic bacteria by
agar diffusion method.
The various plants tested for their antimicrobial activity have shown varied response.
The results are promising and some of the plants have shown inhibitory activity against one
or two fungi/bacteria, whereas others have shown a broader spectrum of activity, some plants
showing good activity against all the test fungi/ bacteria. Plants samples of some families
such as Apocynaceae, Caesalpinaceae, Combretaceae, Compositae, Ebenaceae, Liliaceae,
Lythraceae, Meliaceae, Mimosaceae, Rosaceae, Salvadoraceae, Sapindaceae, Theaceae and
Zingibraceae were found to be comparatively more effective against the test fungi and
bacteria.
The research work indicates that the use of plant extracts as antimicrobial agent
to control plant pathogens is feasible and is cost effective as the material used is
inexpensive. The major benefit is its being eco-friendly.
Table-1 Negative Effect of Synthetic Chemicals
SYNTHETIC CHEMICALS
NEGATIVE EFFECT
Organophosphates: Malathion, Parathion, Organophosphates effect on Nervous System,
Trithion, Ethion, TEPP and Fenitrothion.
resulting in convulsions, paralysis, and death. It
is similar to Nerve Gas used in World War 11.
Carbamates: Carbaryl (Methyl isocyanate), Methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas caused Bhopal gas
Carbofuran-Furadan, Aldicarb-Temik and tragedy in 1984.
Propoxur-Baygon
Dioxin: Herbicides used during Vietnam War Dioxin is extremely toxic to mammals, causing
to defoliate large area in war zone
liver disorders, nerve damage and is carcinogen,
also damage ecosystems.
Organochlorines: DDT, BHC, Heptachlor, Organochlorines act on the Nervous System and
DDE, Chlordane, Lindane, Endosulphan, also create soil pollution.
Aldrin, Dieldrin and Endrin.
The research work has been recognized and published in the journal of
international repute with high rating.
List of Total Publications (Total=41)