Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer
Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 13 No. sp5 (2026): Recent Advances in Agriculture

Exploiting antagonistic bacteria and botanical oils for systemic resistance-mediated management of papaya anthracnose complex

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.15125
Submitted
20 April 2026
Published
06-07-2026

Abstract

Chemical pesticides are widely used to control plant diseases but pose risks to human health and the environment. Essential oils and antagonistic bacteria, which are effective in managing plant diseases, offer a safer alternative to synthetic fungicides. This study aimed to evaluate papaya anthracnose control using antagonists and plant oils. In vitro screening of 9 bacterial strains demonstrated varying inhibitory effects against both Lasiodiplodia theobromae and Colletotrichum papayae. The most potent suppression of L. theobromae was attributed to isolate Pseudomonas fluorescens (PfP1), which restricted fungal development to 28.33 mm (a 67.68 % reduction relative to the control) and established a clear 11.00 mm zone of inhibition. Similarly, isolate Bacillus subtilis (BsP1) proved most effective against C. papayae; it limited mycelial proliferation to just 21.33 mm, creating an 11.67 mm inhibition zone and achieving a 75.94 % growth decline compared to the untreated check. In vitro evaluation of essential oils was carried out to assess the mycelial growth of C. papayae and L. theobrommae. Of these, Eucalyptus oil showed minimum inhibitory concentration of 0.05 % against the growth of both pathogens. Enhanced disease suppression was achieved through a combined fruit-dipping treatment consisting of 0.05 % Eucalyptus oil integrated with P. fluorescens (PfP1) and B. subtilis (BsP1), both applied at a 00.2 % (v/v) with a bacterial population of approximately 10⁸ cfu mL-1 concentration. Following challenge inoculation with the pathogen, this consortium effectively curtailed infection levels. By the 8th day post-inoculation 8 days after inoculation (DAI), the treatment demonstrated a 95.75 % reduction in disease severity compared to the control. Notably, these results were statistically comparable to the efficacy of the synthetic chemical intervention, which yielded a 97.50 % reduction (1.90). The treatment also enhanced defence-related enzymes like peroxidase (PO), polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL). These findings suggest that the consortium of Eucalyptus oil and bacterial bioagents has strong potential as an eco-friendly biofunficide for the management of papaya anthracnose.

References

  1. 1. Senthilnathan S, Elamathy S, Kiruthika N, Gurunathan S, Prahadeeswaran M, Rameshkumar D. Economic analysis of agricultural growth and crop diversification in Tamil Nadu. Int J Plant Soil Sci. 2022;34(19):1–11. https://doi.org/10.9734/ijpss/2022/v34i1931290
  2. 2. AS S. Papaya season in India, its varieties and production [Internet]. 2022 [cited 2026 Jun 1]. https://abcfruits.com/papaya-varieties-season-production-and-economic-importance/
  3. 3. Zahid N, Ali A, Manickam S, Siddiqui Y, Maqbool M. Potential of chitosan-loaded nanoemulsions to control different Colletotrichum spp. and maintain quality of tropical fruits during cold storage. J Appl Microbiol. 2012;113(4):925–39. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2672.2012.05398.x
  4. 4. Moraes SRG, Tanaka FAO, Massola Júnior NS. Histopathology of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides on guava fruits (Psidium guajava L.). Rev Bras Frutic. 2013;35(2):657–64. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0100-29452013000200039
  5. 5. Kiranmayee V, Mishra JP, Prasad R, Sekhar JC, Reddy VP, Kumar S. Isolation and in vitro evaluation of essential oils against anthracnose of pomegranate caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Penz.) Penz. & Sacc. J Pharmacogn Phytochem. 2020;9(3):37–40.
  6. 6. Javaid A, Khan IH, Shoaib A. Management of charcoal rot of mungbean by two Trichoderma species and dry biomass of Coronopus didymus. Planta Daninha. 2018;36:e018182795. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0100-83582018360100104
  7. 7. Sharf W, Javaid A, Shoaib A, Khan IH. Induction of resistance in chili against Sclerotium rolfsii by plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria and Anagallis arvensis. Egypt J Biol Pest Control. 2021;31:16. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41938-021-00374-5
  8. 8. Zohaib KA, Bashir U, Khan IH, Javaid A, Anwar W. Synergistic effect of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria and Cirsium arvense against black scurf disease of potato. Sains Malaysiana. 2024;53(9):3071–83. https://doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2024-5309-13
  9. 9. Perumal AB, Huang L, Nambiar RB, He Y, Li X, Sellamuthu PS. Application of essential oils in packaging films for the preservation of fruits and vegetables: A review. Food Chem. 2022;375:131810. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.131810
  10. 10. Ali A, Wee Pheng T, Mustafa MA. Application of lemongrass oil in vapour phase for the effective control of anthracnose of ‘Sekaki’ papaya. J Appl Microbiol. 2015;118(6):1456–64. https://doi.org/10.1111/jam.12782
  11. 11. Liu B, Xue M, Zhou J, Zhang H, Ren L, Fan J. Hot air treatment elicits disease resistance against Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and improves the quality of papaya by metabolomic profiling. Biomed Res Int. 2022;2022:5162845. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/5162845
  12. 12. Prabakar K, Raguchander T, Saravanakumar D, Muthulakshmi P, Parthiban VK, Prakasam V. Management of postharvest disease of mango anthracnose incited by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. Arch Phytopathol Plant Prot. 2008;41(5):333–9. https://doi.org/10.1080/03235400600793502
  13. 13. Aneja KR. Experiments in Microbiology, Plant Pathology and Biotechnology. New Delhi: New Age International; 2007. 636 p.
  14. 14. Goos RD, Cox EA, Stotzky G. Botryodiplodia theobromae and its association with Musa species. Mycologia. 1961;53(3):262–77. https://doi.org/10.1080/00275514.1961.12017959
  15. 15. Ekhorutomwen O, Nnamdi C, Shittu O. Botryodiplodin (a mycotoxin) detection in pathogenic Botryodiplodia theobromae isolated from diseased coconut fruits. Proc Niger Acad Sci. 2023. https://doi.org/10.57046/HPUP6912
  16. 16. Fernandes MB, Mizobutsi EH, De Castro SGV, Matos ADM, Moura MMA, Alemida LBD, et al. Avaliação de extratos vegetais no controle de Colletotrichum musae. Contrib Cienc Soc. 2023. https://doi.org/10.55905/revconv.16n.11-203
  17. 17. Krishnan P, Bhat R, Kush A, Ravikumar P. Isolation and functional characterization of bacterial endophytes from Carica papaya fruits. J Appl Microbiol. 2012;113(2):308–17.
  18. 18. Dennis C, Webster J. Antagonistic properties of species-groups of Trichoderma. Trans Br Mycol Soc. 1971;57(1):25–39. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0007-1536(71)80050-5
  19. 19. Vincent JM. Distortion of fungal hyphae in the presence of certain inhibitors. Nature. 1947;159(4051):850. https://doi.org/10.1038/159850b0
  20. 20. Bharathi R, Vivekananthan R, Harish S, Ramanathan A, Samiyappan R. Rhizobacteria-based bio-formulations for the management of fruit rot infection in chillies. Crop Prot. 2004;23(9):835–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2004.01.007
  21. 21. Baratta MT, Dorman HJD, Deans SG, Figueiredo AC, Barroso JG, Ruberto G. Antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of some commercial essential oils. Flavour Fragr J. 1998;13(4):235–44. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-1026(199807)13:4<235::AID-FFJ732>3.0.CO;2-T https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-1026(1998070)13:4<235::AID-FFJ733>3.3.CO;2-K
  22. 22. Hammerschmidt R, Kuc J, editors. Induced Resistance to Disease in Plants. Dordrecht: Springer; 1995. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-8420-3
  23. 23. Mayer AM, Harel E, Ben-Shaul R. Assay of catechol oxidase—a critical comparison of methods. Phytochemistry. 1966;5(4):783–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)83660-2
  24. 24. Dickerson DP, Pascholati SF, Hagerman AE, Butler LG, Nicholson RL. Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase and hydroxycinnamate: CoA ligase in maize mesocotyls inoculated with Helminthosporium maydis or Helminthosporium carbonum. Physiol Plant Pathol. 1984;25(2):111–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/0048-4059(84)90050-X
  25. 25. Gomez KA, Gomez AA. Statistical Procedures for Agricultural Research. 2nd ed. New York: John Wiley & Sons; 1984. 698 p.
  26. 26. Lamare N, Radhakrishnan NV, Thara SS, Simi S, Kumar AS, Rithesh L. Screening of mango varieties against anthracnose disease caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and its in vitro management through biocontrol agents and fungicides. J Adv Biol Biotechnol. 2024;27(11):1063–72. https://doi.org/10.9734/jabb/2024/v27i111691
  27. 27. Kumar RR, Jain AK, Sharma V, Das P, Sahni P. Enhancing precision in papaya crop health management: a CNN-based approach for early disease detection and classification. In: 2024 IEEE International Conference on Information Technology, Electronics and Intelligent Communication Systems (ICITEICS); 2024; Bangalore, India. p. 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICITEICS61368.2024.10625272
  28. 28. Freeman S, Prusky D. Foliar, floral and soilborne diseases. In: Litz RE, editor. The Mango: Botany, Production and Uses. Wallingford: CABI; 2026. p. 260–303 https://doi.org/10.1079/9781845934897.0231
  29. 29. Sankar TG, Gopi V, Bharathi YH, Gopal K, Lakshmi LM. Growth of Botryodiplodia theobromae, an incitant of longitudinal splitting of bark and wood disease in acid lime (Citrus aurantifolia Swingle), as influenced by pH levels, temperature and growth media. Int J Curr Microbiol Appl Sci. 2016;5(12):756–64. https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2016.512.086
  30. 30. Aktaruzzaman M, Afroz T, Hong SJ, Kim BS. Identification of Botrytis cinerea, the cause of post-harvest gray mold on broccoli in Korea. Res Plant Dis. 2017;23(4):372–8. https://doi.org/10.5423/RPD.2017.23.4.372
  31. 31. Du C, Yang D, Jiang S, Zhang J, Ye Y, Pan L, et al. Biocontrol agents inhibit banana fusarium wilt and alter the rooted soil bacterial community in the field. J Fungi. 2024;10(11):771. https://doi.org/10.3390/jof10110771
  32. 32. Zaitoun FM, H YK, Fahmy MM, Ziyada SM. Role of certain bioagents against guava decline disease and in enhancement of the growth of guava trees. J Phytopathol Dis Manag. 2015:43–54.
  33. 33. Kumar A, Rabha J, Jha DK. Antagonistic activity of lipopeptide-biosurfactant producing Bacillus subtilis AKP against Colletotrichum capsici, the causal organism of anthracnose disease of chilli. Biocatal Agric Biotechnol. 2021;36:102133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bcab.2021.102133
  34. 34. Kjeldgaard B, Neves AR, Fonseca C, Kovács ÁT, Domínguez-Cuevas P. Quantitative high-throughput screening methods designed for identification of bacterial biocontrol strains with antifungal properties. Microbiol Spectr. 2022;10(2):e01433-21. https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.01433-21
  35. 35. Sahoo U, Tripathi U, Shukla P, Patel AK. In vitro potency of chemical fungicides over Alternaria lini (Dey) growth inhibition causing black bud disease of linseed. Int J Environ Clim Change. 2023;13(10):2784–90. https://doi.org/10.9734/ijecc/2023/v13i102943
  36. 36. Kamensky M, Ovadis M, Chet I, Chernin L. Soil-borne strain IC14 of Serratia plymuthica with multiple mechanisms of antifungal activity provides biocontrol of Botrytis cinerea and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum diseases. Soil Biol Biochem. 2003;35(2):323–31. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0038-0717(02)00283-3
  37. 37. Quecine MC, Araujo WL, Marcon J, Gai CS, Azevedo JL, Pizzirani-Kleiner AA. Chitinolytic activity of endophytic Streptomyces and potential for biocontrol. Lett Appl Microbiol. 2008;47(6):486–91. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1472-765X.2008.02428.x
  38. 38. Chin-A-Woeng TF, Bloemberg GV, van der Bij AJ, van der Drift KM, Schripsema J, Kroon B, et al. Biocontrol by phenazine-1-carboxamide-producing Pseudomonas chlororaphis PCL1391 of tomato root rot caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici. Mol Plant Microbe Interact. 1998;11(11):1069–77. https://doi.org/10.1094/MPMI.1998.11.11.1069
  39. 39. Raaijmakers JM, Weller DM. Exploiting genotypic diversity of 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol-producing Pseudomonas spp.: characterization of superior root-colonizing P. fluorescens strain Q8r1-96. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2001;67(6):2545–54. https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.67.6.2545-2554.2001
  40. 40. Wang S, Zhu X, Xie H, Li H, Li H, Wang W, et al. Structural diversification and biosynthesis of pesticidal pyrroline-derived alkaloid from Penicillium citrinum SCSIO DF147. J Agric Food Chem. 2026;74(6):5379–90. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.5c15871
  41. 41. Nielsen TH, Sørensen D, Tobiasen C andersen JB, Christophersen C, Givskov M, et al. Antibiotic and biosurfactant properties of cyclic lipopeptides produced by fluorescent Pseudomonas spp. from the sugar beet rhizosphere. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2002;68(7):3416–23. https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.68.7.3416-3423.2002
  42. 42. Silo-Suh LA, Lethbridge BJ, Raffel SJ, He H, Clardy J, Handelsman J. Biological activities of two fungistatic antibiotics produced by Bacillus cereus UW85. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1994;60(6):2023–30. https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.60.6.2023-2030.1994
  43. 43. Faltova I, Urbanova K, Kokoska L. In vitro growth-inhibitory effect of essential oils against plant pathogenic bacteria and fungi in vapour phase. Planta Med. 2022;88(15):P276. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0042-1759249
  44. 44. Zalewska ED, Zawiślak G, Papliński R, Walasek-Janusz M, Gruszecki R. Antifungal effects of some essential oils on selected allergenic fungi in vitro. Acta Sci Pol Hortorum Cultus. 2022;21(6):115–27. https://doi.org/10.24326/asphc.2022.6.10
  45. 45. Muthukumar A, Kumar KS. Chemical composition and antifungal activity of essential oils against die-back of hippeastrum. Indian J Hortic. 2012;69(3):381–4.
  46. 46. Thejeswini PG, Nidhi Monica KJ, Ganesh A, Shivaraj H, Uma RB. Synergistic effect of Indigofera cordifolia-mediated Cu–ZnO nanocomposites for antimicrobial, antioxidant and hemocompatibility activities. Hybrid Adv. 2026;13:100667. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hybadv.2026.100667
  47. 47. Sangeetha G, Thangavelu R, Usha Rani S, Muthukumar A, Udayakumar R. Induction of systemic resistance by mixtures of antagonist bacteria for the management of crown rot complex on banana. Acta Physiol Plant. 2010;32(6):1177–87. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-010-0513-y
  48. 48. Lima Oliveira PD, de Oliveira KÁR, Vieira WA dos S, Câmara MPS, de Souza EL. Control of anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum species in guava, mango and papaya using synergistic combinations of chitosan and Cymbopogon citratus (D.C. ex Nees) Stapf. essential oil. Int J Food Microbiol. 2018;266:87–94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2017.11.018
  49. 49. Jeevanantham S, Praveen A, Livitha R, Balamurugan K. Postharvest anthracnose of mango caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides: a review. Arch Curr Res Int. 2024;24(2):106–15. https://doi.org/10.9734/acri/2024/v24i2637
  50. 50. Abu-Bakar N, Juri NM, Abu-Bakar RA, Sohaime MZ, Badrun R, Sarip J, et al. Recombinant protein foliar application activates systemic acquired resistance and increases tolerance against papaya dieback disease. Asian J Agric Rural Dev. 2021;11(1):1–9.
  51. 51. Muthukumar A, Venkatesh A. Biological inductions of systemic resistance to collar rot of peppermint caused by Sclerotium rolfsii. Acta Physiol Plant. 2014;36(6):1421–31. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-014-1520-1
  52. 52. Pp S, W F. Gewebespezifische oxidative Umsetzung von Polyphenolen durch Peroxidase in Kirschtrieben. Gartenbauwissenschaft. 1980;45.
  53. 53. Fry SC. Cross-linking of matrix polymers in the growing cell walls of angiosperms. Annu Rev Plant Physiol. 1986;37:165–86. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.pp.37.060186.001121
  54. 54. Graham MY, Graham TL. Rapid accumulation of anionic peroxidases and phenolic polymers in soybean cotyledon tissues following treatment with Phytophthora megasperma f. sp. glycinea wall glucan 1. Plant Physiol. 1991;97(4):1445–55. https://doi.org/10.1104/pp.97.4.1445
  55. 55. Bari L, Hassan P, Absar N, Khatun S, Hossain M. Purification and characterization of peroxidase from anthracnose disease infected papaya (Carica papaya L.). Bangladesh J Med Biochem. 2014;6(2):49–57. https://doi.org/10.3329/bjmb.v6i2.17643
  56. 56. Muthukumar A, Eswaran A, Sangeetha G. Induction of systemic resistance by mixtures of fungal and endophytic bacterial isolates against Pythium aphanidermatum. Acta Physiol Plant. 2011;33(5):1933–44. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-011-0742-8
  57. 57. Feng L, Sun J, Jiang Y, Duan X. Role of reactive oxygen species against pathogens in relation to postharvest disease of papaya fruit. Horticulturae. 2022;8(3):205. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8030205
  58. 58. Klessig DF, Malamy J. The salicylic acid signal in plants. Plant Mol Biol. 1994;26(5):1439–58. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00016484
  59. 59. Bai G, Gao J, Zhang S, Meng L, Chu R, Zhang J, et al. Bacillus cereus ZW21-derived VOCs, hydroxyacetone and 3-methyl-3-buten-1-ol, control postharvest papaya anthracnose through direct antifungal activity and host transcriptional reprogramming. Int J Food Microbiol. 2026:111782. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2026.111782
  60. 60. Martin-Rivilla H, Garcia-Villaraco A, Ramos-Solano B, Gutierrez-Mañero FJ, Lucas JA. Extracts from cultures of Pseudomonas fluorescens induce defensive patterns of gene expression and enzyme activity while depressing visible injury and reactive oxygen species in Arabidopsis thaliana challenged with pathogenic Pseudomonas syringae. AoB Plants. 2019;11(5):plz049. https://doi.org/10.1093/aobpla/plz049
  61. 61. Kahawattage A, Hansini N, Daranagama DA, Ranasinghe C. Effect of pre-treatments with natural compounds for controlling anthracnose in papaya variety Red Lady. J Hortic Postharvest Res. 2023;6(2):169–80.
  62. 62. Rana VS, Prasad D, Blazquez MA. Chemical composition of the leaf oil of Lantana camara. J Essent Oil Res. 2005;17(2):198–200. https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.2005.9698874
  63. 63. Kumar A, Kudachikar VB. Antifungal properties of essential oils against anthracnose disease: a critical appraisal. J Plant Dis Prot. 2018;125(2):133–44. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41348-017-0128-2

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.