Eco-Friendly Preservative Treatment of Bamboo

The present study is an exploration of lantana extracts against bamboo decaying fungi. Lantana is a rapidly growing obnoxious weed though it has potential of purposeful utilization. Extracts from Lantana camara leaves have been reported to have antimicrobial, fungicidal, insecticidal and nematicidal activity. Concentrations of aerial and root extracts of L. camara were prepared in petroleum ether, acetone, methanol and hot water. Bamboo blocks treated with the highest concentration of L. camara (aerial and root) methanol extract against bamboo degrading white rot fungi Schizophyllum commune and Polyporus arcularius recorded a weight loss of 13.68%, 9.20% and 14.64%, 9.92% respectively. Methanol root extracts of L. camara proved to be the best treatment.