Effect of salinity levels on antifungal activity of essential oil from Thymus against Fusarium oxysporum

Thyme (Thymus sp.), a medicinal plant of the family Lamiaceae, is used in traditional medicine, contains wide array medicinally active components, their great majority rather complex mixture thymol, ρ-Cymene, γ-Terpinene, β-Caryophyllen, etc. This study aimed to evaluate efficacy Thymus vulgaris extract against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp.radicis-lycopersici strain under saline conditions, assuming soil with high salt content arid regions. Essential oil was extracted by hydrodistillation technique using Clevenger apparatus. The essential compounds were identified GC-MS analysis. Antifungal activity sp. radicis-lycopersici investigated agar dilution method. main constituents thyme thymol (76.96 %), ρ-cymene (9.89 %) and γ-Terpinene (1.92 %). from resented vitro activity, controlling conidial germination mycelial growth. However, significantly not spore production salinity medium. results showed that growth stimulated concentrations 0.6 -1.5 %. In contrast, it reduced at higher concentration (2 application NaCl caused significant increase conidia various tested. has minor inhibitory effect on only when 2 this indicate decreases efficacy pathogen.