Effect of calcium chloride on reducing Colletotrichum gloeosporioides(Penz.) Sacc. infection on post-harvest fruits of Carica papaya L.

Anthracnose (Colletotrichum gloeosporioides) is one of the significant post-harvest diseases in fruit crops such as papaya (Carica papaya, L.). calcium chloride (CaCl₂) concentration potentially reduces the infection of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides in papaya fruit coating, the design used in this study was Complete Randomized Design (CRD) using 5 treatments of CaCl₂ (0, 2, 4, 6 and 8%) with 5 replications. The study was conducted at the Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Padjadjaran, Indonesia, from April to July 2020. different concentrations of calcium chloride were sprayed on the surface of papayas with anthracnose symptoms. The symptoms, signs of the disease, and the intensity of the disease were observed after treatment. The intensity of the disease attack on the tenth day after the application showed non-significant results. The in vivo trial showed that the calcium chloride concentration of 8% could inhibit the growth of C. gloeosporioides by up to 20.93%. The papayas treated with CaCl₂ at a concentration of 8% were entirely infected on the fifth day after application, while those treated with 2, 4 and 6% CaCl₂ and control were infected on the third day. The calcium chloride 8% suppresses the incidence and severity of anthracnose.