Local and exotic germplasm of tomato remains a major source for genetic improvement. Assessment of such lines for biotic stresses particularly viral diseases are the most important criteria for selection in Pakistan, where Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus (TYLCV) and Tomato Mosaic Virus (ToMV) are the major diseases/viruses. A set of 40 accessions (including indigenous Pakistani lines and exotic germplasm from Europe, the United States, and Asia) were evaluated for their resistance/infection response to ToMV with artificial inoculation under greenhouse conditions. Infection response was quantified through disease scoring and DAS-ELISA test (for ToMV). A subset of 24 lines, was further screened for TYLCV using disease scoring and TAS-ELISA. The tested lines showed significant variability for resistance to ToMV. Only one accession (Acc-17878) was resistant to the ToMV whereas seven accessions i.e. Acc-17890, AVR-261, CLN-312, AVR-321, EUR-333, CLN-352, and CLN-362 expressed resistance to TYLCV. Correlation between phenotypic evaluation was confirmed by the ELISA results in both diseases, although both tools complemented to assess the viral infection status. In future, tomato breeding programs must consider breeding for ToMV and TYLCV resistance (using identified germplasm in our study) so as to deliver virus resistant tomato varieties.

Onion (Allium cepa L.), a member of the family Liliaceae, is widely consumed worldwide due to its flavor-enhancing qualities. It has been affected by many post-harvest diseases on large scale. Post-harvest handling of onion is the main issue throughout the world. Fungal diseases cause great loss in field as well as after harvesting. Blue mold of onion is one of the destructive diseases in storage. The Experiment was conducted in Plant Pathology laboratory at Balochistan Agriculture College, Quetta to isolate the fungal pathogen and application of six Plant extracts viz., Garlic, Pepper, Turmeric, Mustard, Ginger and Neem along were used in vitro and in vivo conditions at different concentrations of 5, 10 and 15% however control/ untreated Petri plates were kept with only media but without plant extract and onion bulbs were kept untreated in the control group. After statistical analysis results showed that garlic at all concentrations, turmeric as well mustard at 15% and ginger at 10% and 15% significantly inhibited the mycelial colony growth of Penicillium exalicum under invitro condition and Furthermore in vivo findings revealed that garlic, mustard and ginger at all applied concentration reduced the rottening % on onion bulbs. Moreover, pepper showed least significant control against pathogen both invitro and in vivo conditions, while in control mycelial growth of pathogen and rot severity % on onion was higher as compare to all plant extracts used during experimentation. Thus, this study demonstrates that botanical extracts, particularly garlic, mustard, and ginger, offer an eco-friendly strategy for the postharvest management of blue mold in onion.

Pomegranate (Punica granatum) is an important fruit being grown in Pakistan and throughout world. Its wonderful cultivars are naturally flavored with sweet taste juice. Pathogens invade the fruit under favored conditions and cause economic losses. The most important postharvest disease in pomegranate fruits is gray mold caused by Botrytis cinerea. This study aims utilization of eco-friendly essential oils against gray mold disease in fruit. According to In-vitro test, of coconut (Cocos nucifera), rose (Rosa sp.), sesame (Sesamum indicum), clove (Syzygium aromaticum) and cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) on Pomegranate exhibited strong effect on B. cinerea. Oils exhibited antifungal activity on the causal pathogen and tested through contact as well as volatile phase with different concentrations inhibiting the fungal growth of Botrytis cinerea as compare to control. In vitro experiment results showed that essential oils like clove followed by cinnamon oils with 9% concentration completely suppressed the growth of mycelial fungus causing gray mold disease in pomegranate. While In vivo experiment showed that the essential oil cinnamon followed by clove oil at 9% concentration suppressed the fungus causing gray mold in pomegranate

Mushrooms are nutritive and medicinal foods; Oyster and button are the very important mushrooms being grown at various farms, localities etc. Varieties of fungal contaminants limit the mycelium growth of the button mushroom as well as others in the substrate and affecting its yield. In this study, it was determined the Penecillium sp is the major mold affecting the yield of the Oyster mushroom. Furthermore In-Vitro experiment was carried out for management of mushroom against Penecillium sp. Essential oils viz., cinnamon oil, coconut oil, Neem oil and rose oil were used at various concentrations (4%, 8%, 12% and 16%) against Penecillium sp. All the essential oils showed impressive results, among all treatments Neem oil showed high reduction of colony growth of Penecillium sp. followed by coconut oil, Rose oil and Cinnamon oil. All the data was statically analyzed.

Cucumber is an important vegetable being affected by Fusarium wilt disease, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum (FOC), which is a soil borne disease, that transmits through soil and water and it is one of the most destructive diseases of cucumber plants under high plastic tunnel conditions worldwide including Balochistan, Pakistan. The current study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of four biocontrol agents such as Trichoderma harzianum, T. hamatum, T. viride, and Paecilomyces sp., using a dual culture assay under in vitro and naturally infested tunnel conditions in Balochistan in a Completely Randomized Design with four replications. The results under in vitro revealed that all the biocontrol agents significantly inhibited the radial growth of FOC as compared to control. The highest inhibition was demonstrated by T. harzianum (77%), followed by Paecilomyces sp. (75%), T. hamatum (72%), and T. viride (70%). Based on in vitro findings, three most effective agents such as T. harzianum, T. hamatum, and Paecilomyces sp. were further evaluated under high plastic tunnel conditions using soil drench method. The results under tunnel revealed that T. harzianum and T. hamatum demonstrated the highest effectiveness, reducing the disease incidence (13.2% and 17.0%), plant mortality (10.2% and 21.3%), and root infection (13.97% and 18.00%) compared to the untreated plants, moreover, with respect to the growth parameters, the both bioagents considerably enhanced the shoot and root growth, leading to increase the fresh and dry biomass of the plants. It was concluded from the findings of current study that the T. harzianum and T. hamatum could be effective biological agents for managing the Fusarium wilt of cucumber in high tunnels.