Effectiveness of Essential Oils Mixtures Based on Soy Emulsifier Against Powdery Mildew on Zucchini Plants

Effectiveness of Essential Oils Mixtures Based on Soy Emulsifier Against Powdery Mildew on Zucchini Plants Chemical control is the main protection tool against several diseases that affect agricultural crops. The use of essential oils for the control of crop diseases is a potential alternative to the use of synthetic pesticides. The aim of this work was to test some essential oil mixtures, formulated with a soy emulsifier, against powdery mildew on zucchini plants, starting from the results of previous greenhouse trials. Moreover, the potential phytotoxicity of essential oils was also investigated on Vicia faba, a plant usually used as a bioindicator in ecotoxicological tests due to its sensitivity to mutagenic substances. The obtained results in greenhouse confirm the effectiveness of the essential oil mixtures using soy based emulsifier suitable for field treatments. Furthermore, the tests confirmed that essential oil treatments caused a dose-dependent phytotoxic effect on V. faba.