Antifungal Activity of Phytochemicals of Sida acuta (Burm F.) on Mycoflora of Sorghum: Sida acuta to Control Sorghum Mycoflora

Aim: To investigate the antifungal activity of phytochemicals from Sida acuta on sorghum mycoflora. The current study aimed to determine that Sida acuta root, stem and leaf extracts have antifungal properties. Materials and Methods: The stems, leaves and roots of Sida acuta were dried and powdered and the phytochemicals using the Soxhlet technique with 50% ethanol. Among the fungi expressed on sorghum seeds, the test organisms were screened and isolated as pure cultures and subjected to the antimicrobial assay using the well diffusion method. Results: The control of the pathogenic test fungus is interesting to notice. Leaf and stem extracts have shown a good zone of inhibition. Leaf extract inhibited Claviceps species and Macrophomina species, and leaf and stem extract inhibited Fusarium thapsinum and Colletotrichum species the most. Conclusion: Sida acuta (Burm f.), one of the weed plants in the Family Malvaceae, is known for its medicinal and antimicrobial properties. The ability of phytochemicals to reduce the incidence of the seed mycoflora of sorghum, a fibre-rich staple food grain, was investigated. Sorghum crops, in particular, struggle to battle fungal infestations in North Karnataka. As a result, Sida acuta’s antimicrobial properties help suppress many fungi, including Macrophomina species. It causes diseases such as charcoal rot and seedling blight of sorghum. Under high temperatures and low soil moisture, this fungus can cause notable yield losses in crops such as soybean and sorghum; Fusarium thapsinum, the causal agent for grain mould; Colletotrichum species, which causes seedling blight and seed rot; and Claviceps species, which causes sorghum ergot disease. The two pathogens that cause sorghum plant disease, Macrophomina species and Claviceps species, were tested for antifungal activity. This study’s endeavours might yield a useful alternative to chemical fungicides if the dosage of phytochemicals is standardized and applied both as a therapy and a preventive strategy to monitor the seed mycoflora