Antifungal activity of essential oil of Syzygium aromaticum on Rhynchosporium secalis, the causal agent of barley Scald

Scald caused by Rhynchosporium secalis is one of the most devastating barley foliar diseases worldwide. Morocco has not been spared from this scourge. Our research focused on the antifungal effects of clove essential oil. Essential oils are extracted from the flower buds of aromatic plants using hydrodistillation. According to this study, the obtained extraction rate (9.07%) is quite satisfactory, making the plant a valuable natural resource. The aroma essential oil was identified by gas chromatography, and its main component was eugenol with a content of more than 52%, followed by eugenol acetate (25.94%), caryophyllene (7.845%) and caryophyllene oxide (1.74%). Two R. secalis isolates were tested for antibacterial efficacy. For the two isolates (Rs1 and Rs2) at a low concentration of 0.4 µl/ml, complete inhibition was observed under the action of S. aromaticum essential oil. According to our results, the essential oil has an antifungal effect on Scald.