Comparative Evaluation of Different Biocontrol Agents against Anthracnose of Nendran Banana Caused by Colletotrichum musae
Arun. A.T. *
Department of Plant Pathology, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur, (Kerala), India.
Pramod. R
Department of Plant Pathology, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur, (Kerala), India.
Radhakrishnan N.V
Department of Plant Pathology, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur, (Kerala), India.
Susha S. Thara
Department of Plant Pathology, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur, (Kerala), India.
Reji Rani O. P
Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur, (Kerala), India.
Anuradha. T.
Department of Plant Biotechnology, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur, (Kerala), India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
India is the largest producer of banana in the world. Nendran, a French plantain, is the most important banana cultivar in Kerala. It is mainly affected by many diseases both in the field and after harvest. Being a freshly consumed fruit crop there are a lot of limitations in using chemicals for its disease control. Keeping this view, a study was conducted at the Department of Plant Pathology, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, to control anthracnose, a serious post harvest disease under tropical conditions. In this study comparative evaluation of three fungal biocontrol agents namely [Trichoderma sp. (KAU), Trichoderma sp. (TRPN-3), Trichoderma sp. (TRKR-2)] and bacterial biocontrol agents [Pseudomonas fluorescens (PN026), Bacillus sp. (B15), Bacillus sp. (B17)] were tested against Colletotrichum musae. Among the fungal biocontrol agents maximum mycelial growth inhibition was recorded with Trichoderma sp. (KAU) (77.44%) followed by Trichoderma sp. (TRKR-2) (77.11%). Minimum mycelial growth inhibition was recorded in P.fluorescens (PN026) (55.33%). Based on the results reveals that Trichoderma sp. (KAU) is a highly promising biocontrol agent for managing anthracnose of banana.
Keywords: Anthracnose, biocontrol, Colletotrichum musae, banana, Trichoderma sp, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Bacillus sp