Effect of Bio-control agents and Fungicides against Colletotrichum capsici causing Fruit Rot of Chilli

Four cultivars of chilli infected by Colletotrichum capsici were treated with bio-control agents and fungicides. Pseudomonas fluorescens and Trichoderma harzianum pure cultures 1 × 10⁸ cfu g⁻¹ and their talcum based formulations (28 × 10⁷ cfu g⁻¹ & 19 × 10⁷ cfu g⁻¹) 5 g kg⁻¹ and 10 g kg⁻¹ of seeds were used, respectively. The treated seeds were evaluated for % reduction of C. capsici, seed germination and vigour index. It was found that the pure culture of P. fluorescens was most effective in reducing C. capsici infection followed by T. harzianum than the fungicides treated and untreated seeds. Formulations of P. fluorescens were also effective in increasing the seed germination.