Potential Antagonists Trichoderma viride as Biofungicide, Plant Spacing, and Agricultural Lime Application to Suppress Anthracnose on Chili.

Anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum capsici and C. gloeosporioides on chili is a disease that can reduce up to 80% of yield. Fungicide application has not been able to eliminate infection because Colletotrichum can spread due to splashing of water, especially during the rainy season. The use of antagonistic fungi against Colletotrichum spp. has been widely published but is still limited to the laboratory and greenhouse settings, while field conditions are unpredictable. This study aims to identify the potency of Trichoderma viride that can be used as a biofungicide to control anthracnose in chili and to determine aspects of agronomic that can reduce the risk of anthracnose in chili. Samples of stems, leaves, and fruits were collected from infected plants located at the experimental farm of Bogor Agricultural Development Polytechnic. The experiment was conducted using Randomized Complete Design and Randomized Complete Block Design. The percentage of disease intensity of the fungus C. capsici and the intensity of anthracnose in chili both under screen house and open fields. Effects of different fertilizer on plant height, fruit weight, number of fruits, and the percentage of intensity of C. capsici were also observed and analyzed. Results showed that four fungi isolates were able to be identified, including Penicillium sp., Aspergillus flavus, T. viride, and C. capsici. In vitro analysis showed T. viride ability to suppress C. capsici growth to up to 71%. The fungus T. viride with a density of 7×10⁶ CFU/mL suppressed the development of anthracnose by 59 to 87% under screen house conditions. However, under field conditions, the fungus T. viride was not able to suppress the development of anthracnose. Agronomic aspects such as plant height, number of fruits and production, and productivity of chili did significantly affect anthracnose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]