L-methionine as a potential chemical elicitor against anthracnose of Chilli in vitro and in vivo postharvest analysis

The chilli (Capsicum annuum L.), is the fourth most widely grown crop vegetable in the world and is a staple ingredient in the cuisines of tropical and subtropical nations. Till last decade India held the top spot as both the leading producer and exporter of chilli globally. However, in recent times, it has slipped to 3^rd place in production, which is attributed to crop disease, such as anthracnose, leading to a significant portion of crop losses, thereby impairing the lucrative cultivation and seed extraction in India. In this research, the effectiveness of two chemical elicitors: L-methionine & Vanillin was assessed against C. capsiciinhibition (in vitro and in-vivo) and their effect on quality parameters of chilli. Two different concentrations were used, i.e.,L-Methionine 50 mM (T1) and 100 mM (T2) & Vanillin 0.5% (T3) and 1.0%. In-vitro studies were conducted by using Agar well diffusion assay. L-methionine exhibited maximum inhibition of mycelial growth (1.5 cm) of C. capsici isolates across all tested concentrations. In-vivo studies were conducted by following microinjection method. Similar results were also seen in in-vivo conditions, i.e.,L-methionine was able to restrict anthracnose spoilage in chilli as well as maintained post-harvest quality aspects such as total antioxidants, total phenols, browning index, capsanthin content of chilli as well as showed lower spoilage when compared with other treatments and control up to 15 days of storage at ambient conditions. Therefore, amino acid like L-methionine can be incorporated into supply chain as an antagonist of anthracnose in chillies, thereby fetching better market and export potential.