FIRST TESTIMONY OF NEW HOST PLANT OF COLLETOTRICHUM MAGNUM (S.F. Jenkins & Winstead) Rossman & W.C. Allen CAUSING ANTHRACNOSE IN CARICA PAPAYA L. FRUITS IN BALI, INDONESIA

Abstract

Anthracnose forms a group of fungal diseases that affect a variety of crop plants in warm and humid areas. Anthracnose causes the wilting, withering, and dying of tissues of plants, commonly infecting the developing shoots, leaves, and fruits. It critically affects the quality and production of Carica papaya fruits in Bali, Indonesia. The pathogenic fungi belonging to the genus Colletotrichum cause anthracnose fungal disease. Research on morphology and molecular identification of pathogenic fungi is very important to determine the type of pathogenic fungus that causes anthracnose disease in the papaya fruit. The latest study aims to identify the pathogen that caused anthracnose on papaya fruits in Bali, Indonesia, carried out during July – December 2021 at the Belok Village, District of Petang, Badung Regency, and in Laboratory of Biochemistry, Udayana University, Badung Regency, Bali, Indonesia. The study used Koch's postulates to confirm the pathogenicity and continued with macro- and micro-morphological characterization. Based on macro- and micro-morphological characterization, the pathogen has shown similar traits to the genus Colletotrichum. Molecular identification took place using the ITS sequences to increase data robustness. Based on the molecular analysis, the DNA sequences of the genus Colletotrichum isolated from papaya fruits showed the symptoms of anthracnose disease. Based on the latest findings, the pathogen causing anthracnose disease in Carica papaya fruits showed as the species Colletotrichum magnum in Bali, Indonesia.