In vitro Antifungal Efficacy of Silver Nanoparticles against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. Lycopersici in Tomato

Present investigation on Mycosynthesis of silver nanoparticles and antifungal activity of silver nanoparticles against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici in tomato was carried out at department of Plant Pathology, College of Agriculture, Latur to find out antifungal activity of silver nanoparticles against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici in tomato.

Mycosynthesis of silver nanoparticles produced from the fungus Trichoderma harzianum. Characterization of silver nanoparticles were carried out by UV-Vis spectroscopy and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) which revealed that synthesized nanoparticles were having the UV absorption peak at 420 nm and nanoprticle size was 50 nm. Silver nanoparticles demonstrated significant antifungal activity against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici in tomato by using Agar well diffusion method and Poisoned food technique.

In Agar well diffusion method, the highest zone of inhibition 18.66 mm was recorded at 100 ppm concentration than other treatments. In poisoned food technique, the suspension of silver nanoparticles at 100 ppm concentration recorded highest (75.19%) inhibition. This was followed by 50 ppm, 30 ppm, 10 ppm conc. and Trichoderma culture filtrate which recorded 66.67%, 58.89%, 54.45% and 51.45% inhibition, respectively.

Growth of the Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici in tomato decreased drastically with increase in the concentration of the silver nanoparticles.