ANTIFUNGAL EFFECT OF MYCO-SYNTHESIZED SILVER NANOPARTICLES AGAINST ANTHRACNOSE OF TROPICAL FRUIT CROPS

Anthracnose, caused by Colletotrichum spp.leads to significant pre-and post-harvest losses in tropical fruit crops by reducing the yield, fruit quality, consumer preferability, and market value.Prevalence of one or more Colletotrichum species in fruit orchards pose a difficulty in their management.Hence, a novel management strategy was explored by testing the antifungal effect of myco-synthesized silver nanoparticles.Three species viz., C. musae, C. asianum and C. gloeosporioides were identified from anthracnose samples of banana, mango and pomegranate respectively.Trichoderma asperellum mediated myco-synthesized silver nanoparticles (Tas-AgNPs) of 100 g/ml, 150 g/ml, 200 g/ml, 250 g/ml, 300 g/ml concentrations were evaluated.Spore inoculation assay was conducted by pathogen inoculation with 110 6 conidia/ml followed by simultaneous application of Tas-AgNPs on detached leaf/fruit of host.At 100 g/ml of Tas-AgNPs, the mean anthracnose lesion counts were 37.33 for banana, 43 for mango and 34.33 for pomegranate.At 150 g/ml of Tas-AgNPs, the mean anthracnose lesion counts were 24.66 for banana, 27.33 for mango and 28.33 for pomegranate.At 200 g/ml of Tas-AgNPs, the mean anthracnose lesion counts were 14.33 for banana, 18 for mango and 18.33 for pomegranate.At 250 g/ml of Tas-AgNPs, the mean anthracnose lesion counts were 10.33 for banana, 10.66 for mango and 12.33 for pomegranate.At 300 g/ml of Tas-AgNPs, the mean anthracnose lesion counts were 6.33 for banana, 7.66 for mango and 6.33 for pomegranate.As the concentrations of Tas-AgNPs was increased, the mean lesion count was decreased indicating that higher Tas-AgNPs concentrations significantly inhibited anthracnose.No signs of phytotoxic reactions of 300 g/ml Tas-AgNPs were observed in fruit surface of control treatments (T8) of banana, mango and pomegranate.Therefore, the T. asperellum mediated myco-synthesized silver nanoparticles can used for effective management of anthracnose of tropical fruit crops.