Vol. 10, Special Issue 3 (2021)

Author(s):
Dr. Sudha S, Dr. Narendrappa T and Dr. Sivakumar G

Abstract:
Mango (Mangifera indica L.) is universally considered as one of the leading fruit crop worldwide grown throughout the tropics and subtropics. Mango deserves to be the national fruit of India and because of its popularity and high nutritional value it has been acclaimed as "King of fruits". Post-harvest anthracnose disease incited by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Penz.) Penz., and Sacc., is a major yield and market constraint as it causes economical loss to a tune of 17–36% affecting the marketability of fruit. Use of chemical fungicides has been employed as primary method in postharvest disease management. However, due to development of resistance to fungicides and residual toxicity biological control has emerged as an alternative strategy and receiving a special attention to combat major postharvest decays of fruits. The promising bio-control agents for controlling of postharvest fruit diseases include antagonist fungi Trichoderma, bacteria with PGPR activity and yeasts as bio-protectant. Fruit bioassay was carried with promising antagonistic microflora isolated from fructoplane of mango for bio-management of anthracnose of mango. The percent disease index PDI (%) of anthracnose disease in Dasheri variety was recorded. Fruits treated with bioagents Trichoderma, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas fluorescens and yeast Meyerozyma caribbica did not exhibit symptoms up to 2 days. Among the bioagents treated fruits, bacterial bioagents P. fluorescens and B. subtilis were most effective in reducing the anthracnose symptoms on fruits and recorded the minimum percent disease index PDI (%) of 37.70% and 33.81% at 10^th day of inoculation. Whereas, the PDI in Trichoderma harzianum, T. viride, T. asperellum treated fruits was 43.75%, 41.82% and 46.33% respectively and Yeast, Meyerozyma caribbica recorded 40.00% PDI while in control (Untreated fruits) the PDI was 85.50% on 10th day of incubation. The bacterial bioagents with their PGPR activity were effective in reducing the anthracnose disease symptoms by 45% over control. Use of such bioagents not only minimizes the losses to farmers but also help in reducing the fungicidal residue in fruits used for human consumption.