The Efficacy of Black Afara Leaves Crude Extracts for Controlling Chili Anthracnose Disease Caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides

Abstract

Chili is one of important economic crop for Thailand and eating customs. Because most Thais love to have spicy food, chili is planted and used for daily consumption. Moreover, it is domestic and oversea in high demand. Thailand has chili growing areas more than 474,717 Rai/year that located in many parts of Thailand including Northeast, North and East, respectively. Several years ago, growing areas in Thailand was decreased by pest. Especially, chili anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides damaging almost chili production. These fungi can destroy whole part of chili such as leaf, flower and fruit. Many farmers decide to use fungicide for preventing this disease in high dose and long-term causes remaining harmful residue on fruits and in environment. Nowadays, choosing some plant extracts is alternative way instead of using chemical. For this reason, black afara from fresh and dried leaves crude extracts at 0, 30,000, 60,000, 90,000, 120,000 ppm were mixed with Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) and studied about growth inhibition of C. Gloeosporioides. The results showed that all concentration of fresh and dried black afara leaves extracts were significantly different to the growth of C. gloeosporioides.