IN VIVO PRESERVATIVE POTENTIAL OF NEEM GILOY-TINOSPORA CORDIFOLIA (WILLD.) MIERS EX HOOK. F. AND THOMS LEAF ESSENTIAL OIL FOR GROUNDNUT (ARACHIS HYPOGAEA) SEEDS

The mycological analysis of stored seed of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) through agar plate as well as blotter paper methods of study revealed presence of 16 fungal species viz., Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus candidus, Aspergillus flavus, A. Niger, A. ochraceous, A. phoenicis, A. tamari, A. terreus, A. sydowi, Fusarium moniliforme, F. oxysporum F. solani, P. glabrum, Rhizopus nigricans, Trichoderma viride and Trichothecium roseum. Out of 20 essential oils extracted from leaf of plants and assessed for their antifungal potential only leaf oil of Tinospora cordifolia,(Willd.) Miers ex Hook. F. & Thoms exhibited absolute toxicity (100%) against dominant fungi Aspergillus flavus, A. niger at 400 ppm concentration. This showed fungicidal activity at 500ppm.It showed MIC against 10 fungi at 400ppm, controlled 15 fungi at 600 ppm. There was no ill effect of physical factors viz., temperature treatment up to 100 °C, autoclaving at 15 lb/square inch pressure at 120 °C and storage up to 105 days on activity of leaf oil. In vivo studies depict that oil of T.cordifolia as seed dressing agent and as a fumigant was able to preserve seeds of groundnut up to 105 days separately in polyethylene containers with minimal changes in organoleptic behaviour during storage.