Antifungal potential of cinnamon essential oils against Phytophthora colocasiae causing taro leaf blight

Abstract Background Taro leaf blight, caused by a severely destructive oomycete fungus Phytophthora colocasiae , is responsible for threatening yield loss worldwide. The pathogen has the ability to germinate and spread rapidly other plants during favorable conditions resulting in acute decline even death, causing 100% crop loss. Farmers usually rely on highly toxic systemic fungicides control disease, which effective, but residual effects resistance of these agrochemicals still concern. Recently as returning nature people tend use chemical-free products, especially edible stuff produced organic agriculture. Therefore, bio-pesticides phytochemicals gaining special attention scientists they are ecofriendly non-hazardous, sustainable, potent alternatives many virulent plant pathogens present research was conducted assess antifungal potential cinnamon essential oils against P . colocasiae. Materials methods from bark were extracted using microwave-assisted hydrodistillation equipment, then their chemical constituents evaluated ATR FTIR spectroscopy. oil assessed mycelium, sporangia, zoospore, necrosis, corms lesions under laboratory at, 0.156, 0.312, 0.625, 1.25, 2.5, 5.0 mg/mL concentrations. Hymexazol used positive no negative control, while each treatment have three replications experiment repeated twice. Results main component identified cinnamaldehyde. isolated infected taro leaves P.colocasiae test current study. Repeated experiments show maximum inhibition percentage mycelial growth, zoospore germination, sporulation observed at 0.625 mg/mL, whereas necrosis inhibited 1.25 concentration. Conclusion This can be reference easy, cost-effective environment-friendly management blight with derivatives. Graphic abstract