Potencial de isolados de Trichoderma spp. no controle biológico de doenças em pimenta-de-cheiro (Capsicum chinense)

Abstract

Chili peppers (Capsicum chinense) can be affected by foliar diseases such as cercosporiosis, caused by fungi of the genus Cercospora, and anthracnose, caused by fungi of the genus Colletotrichum. Chemical control has been used as the main strategy for managing these diseases. Still, this practice can have negative effects, so it is necessary to develop alternatives that can be applied to managing diseases caused by these pathogens. This study aimed to evaluate the antagonistic potential of Trichoderma spp. isolates in the in vitro control of two pathogens that affect the chili pepper crop. Five isolates of Trichoderma spp. were tested against isolates of Cercospora spp. and Colletotrichum spp. The in vitro tests showed that the isolates of Trichoderma spp. evaluated effectively inhibited the mycelial growth of the pathogens Cercospora spp. and Colletotrichum spp. under laboratory conditions, although their performance varied. Isolate MAN02 was the most efficient, showing the highest inhibition rates for both Cercospora spp. (28.39%) and Colletotrichum spp. (23.61%).