Ação do óleo essencial de pimenta-rosa (Schinus terebinthifolius) no controle in vitro de Mycosphaerella fijiensis Morelet, agente causal da Sigatoka-negra em bananeiras (Musa sp.)

Abstract

Banana farming is an activity of extreme economic, social and cultural importance, strongly linked to family farming and consequently to the issues of man's permanence in the countryside. For man to understand the reason for his intersubjectivity with the rural environment and to make it the subject of his future aspirations and expectations, agroecological crops can be a point in favor of this self-understanding, since they aim to obtain efficient and safe cultivation methods that reduce risks to human health and the environment. In this sense, this study evaluated the effect of the essential oil of pink pepper or aroeira-mansa (Schinus terebinthifolius) on the in vitro growth of colonies of the phytopathogenic fungus Mycosphaerella fijiensis Morelet, the causal agent of Sigatoka-negra, which was isolated from banana leaves (Musa sp) with symptoms of the disease. The study was carried out with four treatments, carried out in petri dishes containing potato dextrose agar (PDA) culture medium: T1 (control) without application of oil, T2 with oil added to the PDA medium before solidification, T3 oil on the surface of the already solidified medium, and T4 oil on filter paper on the plate lid. Pink pepper essential oil was efficient in inhibiting the mycelial growth of Mycosphaerella fijiensis Morelet, in all methods tested (treatments), but the highest percentage of inhibition occurred in T3 at a concentration of 400 μL/20 mL. This result indicates that the use of pink pepper oil may be a promising alternative in disease management as opposed to the excessive use of pesticides in banana farming.