In vitro antifungal activities of mancozeb/phytosynthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles against Eurotium sp. isolated from diseased cassava plant (Manihot esculenta Crantz)

Nanoparticles are substances ranging from 1 – 100 nm in size and they have improved property such as increased surface area to volume ratio. In this study, in vitro antifungal activities of mancozeb/phytosynthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles against Eurotium sp. isolated from diseased cassava  plants (Manihot esculenta crantz) were determined. Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles was synthesized using Moringa leaf extract and characterization  of the biosynthesized nanoparticles was done using UV-Vis spectrophotometer. Different combinationsof zinc oxide nanoparticles and mancozeb were prepared corresponding to 25/75, 50/50 and 75/25 ZnO nanoparticles/mancozeb respectively. Antifungal testing using the test  nanoparticles/mancozeb combinations was carried out using thefood poisoning method. The results obtained from this study indicate that zinc oxide nanoparticles/mancozeb combinations significantly inhibited the growth of the test pathogen with varying rates of inhibition. One hundred percent (100 %) inhibition of Eurotium sp. was obtained by 25/75, 75/25 and 100 % nanoparticles treatments. Future direction to this study is to investigate how ZnO nanoparticles/mancozeb combinations could be used for crop protection against phytopathogens. The mode of action of the test nanoparticles should be further investigated.