Management of chilli anthracnose by the biopreservative effect of lactic acid bacteria

Vinamratha Patilkulkarni; K S Jagadeesh; Shamarao Jahagirdar

Volume : III, Issue : VI, June - 2014

Management of chilli anthracnose by the biopreservative effect of lactic acid bacteria

Vinamratha Patilkulkarni, K S Jagadeesh, Shamarao Jahagirdar

Abstract :

The biopreservation of fruits and vegetables using lactic acid bacteria is an innovative approach that helps in long term storage and improvement of the quality of the produce by minimizing the effect of storage fungi on perishables. In this study, Lactic Acid Bacterial (LAB) isolates were screened against Colletotrichum capsici Syd., causing anthracnose in chilli. The isolates LAB 75 and LAB 82 were more promising in inhibiting the growth of the fungus. In the in vivo assays, LAB 75 was more effective in reducing the severity of anthracnose disease on chilli fruits, under challenge inoculated conditions. Spraying with LAB 75 on to chilli fruits resulted in a lower per cent disease index (25.13 PDI) when compared to 59.36 PDI in the pathogen control after six days of challenge inoculation, accounting to about 60 per cent decrease in PDI. Further, the LAB population was the highest on chilli fruits in this treatment (300x104 cfu1 g). Thus, LAB 75 proved its potential to be used as a bio–preservative of chilli fruits by effectively managing anthracnose of chilli.