The present study targets the management of tomato
plant diseases caused by bacterial and fungal pathogens through natural pesticides. The antimicrobial and
antifungal activities of water extract from Aegle marmelos L. were assessed in vitro at various concentrations. For antimicrobial activity, the zone of inhibition
(ZOI) was measured, revealing that at 100 mg/ml concentration, the plant extract exhibited a ZOI greater
than 15 mm for bacterial strains, Xanthomonas spp.
and Clavibacter michiganensis ssp. michiganensis. For
antifungal activity, the percentage of inhibition was
measured at different concentrations of the plant
extract. At the highest concentration of 10 mg/ml,
complete inhibition (100%) was observed for Botrytis
cinerea, whereas 77.5% inhibition was observed for
Phytophthora nicotianae var. parasitica. Subsequently,
in vivo experiments were conducted where the plant
extract was used as a natural pesticide. Compared to
the control, the treated plots demonstrated a significantly higher survival rate. These findings suggest that
A. marmelos L. water extract can serve as an effective
natural pesticide, providing a viable alternative to
chemical pesticides in tomato disease management.