Biofungicide potential of wood vinegar against anthracnose of bell pepper (Capsicum anuum L.) caused by Colletotrichum spp.

Abstract

Bell pepper is an essential food ingredient used for home consumption, catering and in the food industry. However, bell pepper's shelf-life is reduced due to anthracnose caused by the fungus Colletotrichum spp. Control measures using wood vinegar as an alternative to commercial fungicides are explored to control bell pepper anthracnose. The study evaluated the efficacy of different concentrations of wood vinegar - 1%, 2%, 3%, 4% and, 5% against bell pepper anthracnose, laid out in a completely randomized design with triplicates. Spore germination assay and poisoned food technique revealed that 3% was the lowest concentration to completely inhibit the germination of conidia, while at 2%, the colony diameter and sporulation of Colletotrichum spp. was significantly reduced compared to the untreated control. In addition, treated fruits with 3% wood vinegar showed a significant decrease in disease incidence and lower disease severity ratings comparable with 0.0625% benomyl for both protective and eradicative treatments. The eradicative treatment was more effective than the protective treatment. Thus, wood vinegar was shown to have strong antifungal activity against Colletotrichum spp.