Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

FACTORS AFFECTING GROWTH AND MULTIPLICATION OF COLLETOTRICHUM MUSAE, THE CAUSE OF BANANA ANTHRACNOSE AND ITS POST HARVEST MANAGEMENT

Geeta Devi, Rashmi Tewari, *Md. Nadeem Akhtar and Pradeep Kumar

Abstract

Anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum musae is the main disease affecting the quality of banana fruits during export and marketing. The disease appears on leaves and fruits and causes severe damage to the fruits during transit and storage. Studies on cultural, morphological and physiological characters revealed that the fungus grows on a wide range of temperature and pH in different growth media. Banana ripe fruit agar and potato dextrose agar media supported best growth at 25ºC and pH 6.0. Fungicide propiconazole @ 50 ppm, leaf extract of Thusa compecta@ 20 per cent and Trichoderma harzianum were effective in inhibiting the growth of the fungus in vitro. Post- harvest dip treatments with fungicides, plant extracts and bio-agents increased shelf life and reduced the lesion diameter on fruit surface. Dip treatment of fruits for three minutes with propiconazol and binomyl @ 100 ppm and leaf extract of T. compecta @ 100 per cent increased the shelf life of the fruits from six days to eleven days and propiconazol reduced the lesion diameter maximum. T. harzianum also increased the shelf life and reduced lesion diameter on the fruit however T. harzianum over grow on the fruit surface reducing the quality of the fruit itself. Use of plant extracts would be safer alternative to the fungicides as post-harvest treatment and can be explored commercially.