Comparative effectiveness of some novel fungicides and different biocontrol agents against two Colletotrichum musaeisolates under laboratory condition

Colletotrichum musae, is aggressive and devastating threat and causing huge losses in banana production globally. The use of various fungicides and as well as biocontrol agents can help to manage the crop. However, five different fungicides, namely., Antracol, Defeater plus, Ridomil gold, Kocide, and Topsin M at five different concentrations viz., 10 ppm, 100 ppm, 200 ppm, 500 ppm, and 1000 ppm were used to check the growth inhibition of the two isolates (CM02 and CM11) of C. musae by food poison technique. The topsin M fungicide at all concentrations (10-1000 ppm) was highly effective, which yielded 72-98% inhibition, followed by Ridomil gold 1000 ppm caused 82.11% and 79% inhibition of both isolates. Ridomil gold at 500 ppm causes 75.13% and 69.44% mycelial growth inhibition of CM02 and CM11. In comparison, Kocide at 1000 ppm caused more than 60% inhibition of both strains. However, we observed that, as the concentration decreased the mycelial growth of the pathogen increased. Furthermore, during the present investigation, three biocontrol agents, viz., Trichoderma harzianum, Trichoderma polysporum and Paecilomyces variotii were used for their antifungal activity against (CM02 and CM11) by dual assay test. T. harzianum proved highly effective biocontrol agents and cause (18.88% and 20.11%) mycelial inhibition of both strains, followed by T. polysporum (13.33% and 15%) and P. variotii (9.11% and 8.75%) on 3rd, 4th and 7th day of inoculation by dual assay test. In conclusion, among all tested fungicides, Topsin M was found highly effective against both strains of Colletotrichum musae. Therefore, biological control especially with Trichoderma species are promising method to control this pathogen quickly. Both isolates of C. musae showed high sensitivity against Trichoderma species on the third and fourth day of inoculation.