Effect of Silicic Acid and Silicon on Growth of Zingbinger Official Roscoe and the Antifungal Activity Against Fusarium Oxysporum

Wong, Jun Yaw (2024) Effect of Silicic Acid and Silicon on Growth of Zingbinger Official Roscoe and the Antifungal Activity Against Fusarium Oxysporum. Final Year Project (Bachelor), Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology.

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Abstract

Fusarium oxysporum is a potent fungus that belongs to the Fusarium species. Besides, it is pathogenic to plants or animals and produce mycotoxin. The Panama disease is caused by the Fusarium sp. which leads to the yellowing of leaves and the dying of the vascular bundles, and it is commonly found in banana species. In 2023, Malaysia’s banana industry generated 121.7 million dollars in export revenue to Brunei. Thus, the presence of Panama disease that affect banana will greatly affect Malaysia’s economy. Ginger, scientifically known as Zingiber officinale Roscoe, is an essential crop in the domestic and international market due to its accomplished properties as a flavouring agent, spice, and traditional medicine. Ginger has been proven to seize medicinal effects such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antifungal activity. This is mainly attributed to its bioactive compounds, such as gingerol, shogaol, and more. Although silicon has been analysed as a non-essential element in plants, there are still many studies that have proven its ability to ease the effects of abiotic stress, enhance the strength of the stem, and improve the tolerance of UV. Therefore, the current project was conducted to study the effect of different concentrations of silicic acid (Sa1, 45 ppm, Sa2, 20 ppm, Sa3, 7 ppm) and silicon (SI1, 1000 ppm, SI2, 750 ppm, SI3, 500 ppm) on the growth rate, yield, total phenolic compounds, chlorophyll content, and photosynthesis rate. After the six-month cultivation, the plant growth data showed that there were no significant differences (P>0.05) among the treatments on the number of leaves, plant height, photosynthesis rate, total phenolic compounds, and cocopeat pH. However, the Sa3 treatment showed a significantly higher (P<0.05) in chlorophyll content and total flavonoid content compared to control and silicon treatment, indicating the potential of low concentration of silicic acid to be applied for the production of ginger rhizome with relatively high pharmaceutical value. Additionally, the percentage inhibition of radial growth (PIRG) for 900 ppm, 1250 ppm and 2000 ppm showed significant differences (P<0.05) as compared to Benomyl (positive control). The PIRG for Benomyl recorded as 36.67% and this may be due to filtration step that has removed the active ingredient in Benomyl, thus showing a low inhibition efficiency. Crude ginger extract of 5000ppm with Sa3 showed a PIRG of 33.33% which is no significant difference (P>0.05) from the Benomyl. Therefore, the increasing concentration of crude ginger extract with Sa3 inclusion in ginger cultivation has exhibited a better potential to inhibit the growth of Fusarium oxysporum.This project aligned to sustainable development goal 2 on zero hunger