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Volume 12
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10.3390/horticulturae12040433
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Article

Essential Oil-Based Nanoemulsions as Sustainable Control Method Against Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Neofusicoccum parvum on Citrus †

by
Greta La Quatra
1,*,
Luiza Sánchez-Pereira
2,
Giorgio Gusella
1,
Ilaria Martino
3,
Carlos Agustí-Brisach
2,
Alessandro Vitale
1,
Dalia Aiello
1 and
Giancarlo Polizzi
1
1
Dipartimento di Agricoltura, Alimentazione e Ambiente, Università degli Studi di Catania, Via Santa Sofia 100, 95123 Catania, Italy
2
Departamento de Agronomía, Campus de Rabanales, Universidad de Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain
3
Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Forestali e Alimentari (DISAFA), University of Torino, Largo Braccini, 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
Greta La Quatra served as pre-doctoral visitor from January to August of 2025 at the University of Córdoba (Spain) to complete part of this study.
Horticulturae 2026, 12(4), 433; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12040433
Submission received: 7 March 2026 / Revised: 30 March 2026 / Accepted: 31 March 2026 / Published: 2 April 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Postharvest Quality Preservation and Disease Control for Fruits and Vegetables)
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Abstract

Fungal diseases represent one of the major threats to citrus production, such as anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Fungal Trunk Diseases (FTDs) associated with Botryosphaeriaceae, with Neofusicoccum parvum being the most prevalent species. In response to the need to reduce chemical fungicide use, this study evaluated the antifungal activity of essential oil-based nanoemulsions (N-EOs) as alternative management methods. Seven N-EOs (citronella, clove, fennel, garlic, laurel, lavender and peppermint) were first screened in vitro against multiple isolates of both pathogens through mycelial growth and conidial germination assays. Based on estimated EC50 and EC90 values, clove and garlic N-EOs exhibited the highest inhibitory activity, while lavender displayed intermediate but promising efficacy, particularly against N. parvum. These N-EOs were subsequently evaluated in vivo on lemon fruits inoculated with C. gloeosporioides and on detached lemon twigs inoculated with N. parvum. In vivo assays largely confirmed the in vitro trends, with clove and garlic significantly reducing lesion development. In contrast, lavender displayed limited efficacy under in vivo conditions. The phytotoxic effects at higher concentrations limited the range of applicable doses. Overall, the results suggest that N-EOs, particularly those based on clove and garlic, may offer potential as alternative tools for citrus disease management. However, host tissue interactions, formulation stability, volatility, and validation under field conditions remain critical aspects requiring further investigation.
Keywords: citrus diseases; essential oil nanoemulsion; antifungal activity; Colletotrichum gloeosporioides; Neofusicoccum parvum; integrated disease management citrus diseases; essential oil nanoemulsion; antifungal activity; Colletotrichum gloeosporioides; Neofusicoccum parvum; integrated disease management
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MDPI and ACS Style

La Quatra, G.; Sánchez-Pereira, L.; Gusella, G.; Martino, I.; Agustí-Brisach, C.; Vitale, A.; Aiello, D.; Polizzi, G. Essential Oil-Based Nanoemulsions as Sustainable Control Method Against Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Neofusicoccum parvum on Citrus. Horticulturae 2026, 12, 433. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12040433

AMA Style

La Quatra G, Sánchez-Pereira L, Gusella G, Martino I, Agustí-Brisach C, Vitale A, Aiello D, Polizzi G. Essential Oil-Based Nanoemulsions as Sustainable Control Method Against Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Neofusicoccum parvum on Citrus. Horticulturae. 2026; 12(4):433. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12040433

Chicago/Turabian Style

La Quatra, Greta, Luiza Sánchez-Pereira, Giorgio Gusella, Ilaria Martino, Carlos Agustí-Brisach, Alessandro Vitale, Dalia Aiello, and Giancarlo Polizzi. 2026. "Essential Oil-Based Nanoemulsions as Sustainable Control Method Against Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Neofusicoccum parvum on Citrus" Horticulturae 12, no. 4: 433. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12040433

APA Style

La Quatra, G., Sánchez-Pereira, L., Gusella, G., Martino, I., Agustí-Brisach, C., Vitale, A., Aiello, D., & Polizzi, G. (2026). Essential Oil-Based Nanoemulsions as Sustainable Control Method Against Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Neofusicoccum parvum on Citrus. Horticulturae, 12(4), 433. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12040433

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