Author(s): Pooja S Patel, VB Sanath Kumar, N Kiran Kumar, Chandrappa and KB Palanna

Abstract: Bioagents, which are natural organisms used for pest and disease management, have gained significant attention as they offer a promising and environmentally friendly alternative to chemical controls. In the context of managing papaya black spot disease caused by Asperisporium caricae after harvesting, researchers evaluated cultural filtrates from two fungal and three bacterial bioagents in real-world conditions. Among the bioagent cultural filtrates tested at varied concentrations, Trichoderma viride demonstrated the highest efficacy. At 100 percent concentration, it achieved the lowest infection percentage (0.32-5.02%) compared to Bacillus subtilis (0.93-7.67%), T. harzianum (2.76-6.47%), B. megaterium (5.13-11.41%), and Pseudomonas fluorescens (5.96-9.70%) at both 7 and 10 days after treatment. These results were notably better than the infection rates observed in the control group, which ranged from 13.56% to 21.46%. This study underscores the potential of bioagents, particularly Trichoderma viride, in effectively managing papaya black spot disease post-harvest, highlighting their role as a viable and sustainable option for disease control in agriculture.

DOI: 10.33545/26174693.2024.v8.i6f.1351