Potential of the Biological Agent Trichoderma koningii Against Colletotrichum capsici Causes Anthracnose Disease in Large Chili Plants (Capsicum annuum L.) In Vitro

Anthracnose disease (Colletotrichum capsici) can reduce chili production and quality by 45–60%. Control of anthracnose disease has been carried out using chemicals. Intensive use of synthetic fungicides has implications for accumulating toxic compounds that can harm humans and the environment. One alternative control that is environmentally friendly and produces safe harvests for consumption is to use antagonistic fungi. Trichoderma is an antagonistic fungus that can secrete antibiotic compounds that function as antifungals in inhibiting growth and even become a microparasite of the pathogenic fungus C. capsici. The research aims to determine the effectiveness of Trichoderma koningii against C. capsici in vitro. The study was carried out in vitro at the East Java BPTP Pest and Disease Laboratory in March–August 2021. The research results showed that the T. koningii fungus inhibited the growth of the pathogenic fungus C. capsici by 92.9% on the 12th day after inoculation. Antagonistic fungi T. koningii can be an environmentally friendly alternative control against C. capsici.