Biological Control of Postharvest Anthracnose in Tomatoes Using Trichoderma spp.: A Sustainable Approach to Preserving Nutritional Quality and Market Value

Tomatoes make up a large portion of human diets worldwide, providing necessary nutrients like vitamins A and C, lycopene, potassium, and antioxidants for general health and immunity.However, the challenge to maintaining quality and quantity in terms of tomatoes currently arises from post-harvest losses resulting from anthracnose, due to Colletotrichum coccodes.This fungal pathogen causes spoilage of the physical appearance, nutritional content, and even the market value of the tomato.It has been responsible for considerable economic loss.The disease reduces key nutritional components-vitamins, antioxidants, and other bioactive compounds-this means the dietary benefits provided by this versatile fruit vegetable are affected.In this study, Trichoderma species were investigated as biological control agents in managing postharvest anthracnose in tomatoes.Trichoderma spp.are well known in their antagonistic properties such as competition for nutrients, mycoparasitism, and the production of antifungal metabolites.The treatments using Trichoderma were found to effectively suppress growth of C. coccodes, decrease lesion development on tomato fruits, and retain its nutritional content up to long periods of storage.This non-toxic and eco-friendly treatment also greatly decreased the application of synthetic fungicides, thereby improving sustainable agriculture practice and consumer safety.The findings shed light on the potential of Trichoderma spp. to mitigate postharvest losses of tomatoes, preserve the nutritional value, and retain the market appeal of tomato fruits through an efficient and environmentally sustainable strategy.This study underscores the relevance of biological control methods in counteracting the challenges the world faces in food security, nutrition, and sustainable agriculture.