Improving control of crown rot disease and quality of pesticide-free banana fruit by combining Bacillus amyloliquefaciens DGA14 and hot water treatment

The present study aimed at improving the control of crown rot disease and quality of pesticide-free banana banana fruit by integrated approach combining Bacillus amyloliquefaciens DGA14 and hot water treatment (HWT). The efficacy of treatment combination was tested on cultures of crown rot-causing pathogens, Lasiodiplodia theobromae, Thielaviopsis paradoxa, Colletotrichum musae and Fusarium verticillioides, and postharvest application. Combination of DGA14 and HWT inhibited mycelium growth by 82.61 % as compared to 66.68 % by DGA14 and 37.90 % by HWT, as single treatments. Spore germination was totally inhibited in DGA14 with or without HWT. Postharvest application with DGA14 + HWT gave 90 % control of fruit decay comparable to 93 % of synthetic fungicide. Fruit treated alone with hot water or in combination with DGA14 incurred the lowest loss in weight. The over-all quality of fruit with DGA14 + HWT was better appearance and firmer texture which was statistically comparable with fungicide-treated banana. DGA14 + HWT was more consistent in crown rot control i.e., limited variation in severity of disease within a treatment as compared to DGA14 and HWT, as stand-alone treatments.