Approach to biological control of anthracnose fruit rot of bananas.

Biological control using associated members of the banana fruit microflora for controlling anthracnose disease caused by Colletotrichum musae, in ripening and ripe bananas was investigated. Among twenty nine fungi and three bacteria isolated from the surface of the fruit, those found non-pathogenic to banana fruit, were tested for antagonistic activity using opposed colony technique. Aspergillus paradoxus, Trichoderma pseudokoningii, Trichoderma aureoviride and three separate isolates of Penicillium species showed varying degrees of antagonistic activity against C. musae. So these were selected for further invitro studies.Culture filtrates of these fungi significantly reduced radial growth of C. musae on Potato Dextrose Agar and inhibited spore germination and germ tube elongation of C. musae. The filtrates however enhanced appressoria formation.Appressoria were formed as soon as a germ tube protrude from the conidia. Further the culture filtrates of one of the Penicillium species and T. aureoviride reduced significantly the production and spread of lesions on the fruits. The results of the study indicated the possible use of antagonistic species of fungi for biocontrol of anthracnose fruit rot of bananas.

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