In vitro biological management of Anthracnose disease in Morinda citrifolia Linn.

Morinda citrifolia Linn., also called as Indian mulberry or Noni is a widely used medicinal plant belonging to the family, Rubiaceae. It suffers from severe diseases which hinder the healing properties of the plant. Hence, there is a significant need to prevent and manage the diseases which the plants are prone to. In this paper, we are reporting the in vitro biological control of Anthracnose disease caused by the pathogen Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Penz.) Penz. & Sacc. in M. citrifolia. The identity of the pathogen was confirmed through microscopic observation and molecular characterization. Furthermore, an in-vitro bioassay was carried out to study the antagonistic effect of Trichoderma virens (J.H. Mill., Giddens & A.A. Foster) Arx. against C. gloeosporioides and the result showed 72.60 % inhibition of C. gloeosporioides by T. virens. Hence, T. virens can be recommended as a potential biocontrol agent against C. gloeosporioides causing Anthracnose disease of M. citrifolia.