The Ability of Echoenzyme to Inhibit Anthracnose Disease on Chili in Storage

Eco-enzyme is a liquid product derived from the fermentation of fresh fruit organic waste with palm sugar. The organic waste is fermented for three months to produce organic pesticide components such as lipase, amylase, protease enzymes, and organic acids like acetic acid, lactic acid, nitric acid, and carbonate. Acetic acid has antifungal and antibacterial properties, which aid in the elimination of germs, viruses, and bacteria. Research on the efficacy of eco-enzyme for controlling plant pathogens is still limited. This study evaluated the ability of eco-enzyme to control the major pathogen of chili peppers, Colletotrichum sp., in storage. The experiment utilized a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with 5 treatments and 4 replications. Five levels of eco-enzyme concentrations (0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, and 2.0%) were sprayed on chili peppers after inoculated with Colletotrichum sp. The parameters observed included incubation period, disease incidence, and lesion length. The results indicate that the incubation period, disease incidence, and lesion length did not shown on chili peppers treated with eco-enzymes at concentrations between 0.5%-2.0%. Observations were conducted until day 10 when all chili peppers in the control treatment were 100% infected by Colletotrichum sp. It can be concluded that eco- enzymes are capable of controlling Colletotrichum sp. on chili peppers in storage. A concentration of 0.5% is very effective in inhibiting the infection of Colletotrichum sp. on red chili peppers during storage. Further research is needed to ensure the efficiency of the tested concentrations.