Two wild plants show promise fighting crop-damaging fungus
Medicinal Plants
The scraggly rue growing along field edges and hedgerows might hold a natural alternative to synthetic fungicides for protecting the wheat and barley in nearby farm fields.
Scientists tested chemical compounds from two plants, narrow-leaved ash trees and a strong-smelling herb called fringed rue, to see if they could stop a group of fungi that ruin cereal crops like wheat and oats. They found these plant extracts had antifungal power, and this is the first time anyone has tested them against one particular fungal species called Fusarium redolens. It's an early step toward finding plant-based alternatives to chemical fungicides.
Key Findings
1
Fraxinus angustifolia (narrow-leaved ash) and Ruta chalepensis (fringed rue) extracts were chemically profiled for bioactive compounds
2
Both plant extracts showed antifungal activity against multiple Fusarium species that infect cereal crops
3
This study represents the first reported evaluation of these plant extracts against Fusarium redolens specifically
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Technical Summary
Researchers found that extracts from narrow-leaved ash and fringed rue plants can fight off Fusarium fungi that damage cereal crops, including the first-ever test against a fungal strain called Fusarium redolens.
Fraxinus angustifolia, the narrow-leaved ash, is a species of Fraxinus native to Central Europe and Southern Europe, Northwest Africa, and Southwest Asia.
