Application of Trichoderma as an Alternative to the use of Sulfuric Acid Pesticides in the Control of Diplodia Disease on Pomelo Citrus

Abstract

This study aims to determine the ability of Trichoderma asperellum Tc-Pjn-02 compared to sulfuric acid pesticides in controlling the disease stem rot Diplodia on Pomelo citrus (Citrus maxima) caused by Botryodiplodia theobromae Pat. The research was conducted at Balai Penelitian Tanaman Buah Tropika Kebun Percobaan Kraton-Pasuruan, East Java Province, and the Laboratory of Microbiology and Biotechnology of Universitas Muhammadiyah Sidoarjo in February-April 2020. Trichoderma and sulfuric acid were applied in an aqueous paste formulation each of 10 units of diseased plants with rotten stems which were randomly selected as samples. The data from the observations were tested using the t-test at the real level of 5%. The results showed that Trichoderma sp. had a higher ability in suppressing pathogen attack compared to sulfuric acid which was able to heal rotten wounds on the stalks affected by 41.95% and 26.74%, respectively.