SUSTAINABLE CONTROL OF BOTRYTIS CINEREA IN VITICULTURE USING BIOACTIVE PLANT EXTRACTS OBTAINED BY HYBRID ULTRASOUND-PERCOLATION TECHNOLOGY

Abstract

Sustainable management of gray mold (Botrytis cinerea) in viticulture necessitates eco-friendly alternatives to synthetic fungicides to alleviate chemical residue risks and combat emerging pathogen resistance. This study evaluated the biocontrol potential of botanical extracts derived from Allium sativum, Lavandula angustifolia, Salvia officinalis, Cannabis sativa, and Melissa officinalis, obtained via an optimized hybrid ultrasound-assisted percolation process. The optimal extraction parameters were determined to be a particle size of 30 mm, a solid-to-liquid ratio of 1:30, a system pressure of 7 bar, and an ultrasound power of 120 W over a 120-minute extraction duration, achieving high polyphenolic yields while maintaining process energy efficiency. In vitro antifungal screening via the poisoned food technique revealed that A. sativum extract exhibited the most potent inhibition against B. cinerea (78.62% on day 2 and 39.84% on day 7 at a 50% v/v concentration), followed by L. angustifolia (69.62% on day 2). In vivo evaluations on Vitis vinifera L. corroborated a concentration-dependent reduction in disease incidence following post-inoculation application. However, a progressive temporal decline in antifungal efficacy was observed across all crude extracts, highlighting the critical need for microencapsulation strategies or condensed application intervals (3–5 days) under field conditions. Overall, hybrid ultrasound-assisted percolation represents a highly efficient green extraction platform for recovering bioactive compounds suitable for integration into sustainable vineyard crop protection regimes.