Potential of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to Control Stem Cancer Disease in Dragon Fruit Caused by Neoscytalidium dimiatum

Abstract

Neoscytalidium dimidiatum fungus is the cause of stem cancer disease on dragon fruit plant. This disease is a major disease of dragon fruit plants that is economically detrimental. The use of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an environmentally friendly control alternative. This study aimed to determine the potential of S. cerevisiae in suppressing the growth of N. dimidiatum which causes dragon fruit vine cancer. The antagonistic tests of S. cerevisiae against N. dimidiatum were carried out in vitro and in vivo. The experimental design used in this research was a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with 4 treatments and 6 replications. The treatments consisted of several different inoculation time of S. cerevisiae namely A (S. cerevisiae was inoculated 2 days after N. dimidiatum inoculation), B (S. cerevisiae was inoculated simultaneously with N. dimidiatum inoculation), C (S. cerevisiae was inoculated 2 days before N. dimidiatum inoculation) and D ( Control, without S. cerevisiae). The results of the research showed that treatment B (application of S. cerevisiae simultaneously with inoculation of N. dimidiatum ) and C (application of S. cerevisiae 2 days before inoculation of N. dimidiatum inoculation) inhibited the growth of N. dimidiatum in vitro and in vivo. The best treatment was C (the inoculation of S. cerevisiae 2 days before inoculation of N. dimidiatum with the persentage of inhibition by 57.8% and 87.88%. respectively.