Comparative Study of Nano-chitosan and Synthetic Bactericide Application on Chili Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) Infected by Xanthomonas campestris

Nano-chitosan is considered as a prospective replacement for
synthetic bactericides. In this study, the antibacterial activity of nanochitosan
and synthetic bactericides was compared in four chili pepper
cultivars (Bianca, Lado, Kiyo, and Tanamo) infected by Xanthomonas
campestris. To assess the effect of nano-chitosan and synthetic
bactericide on the growth of the X. campestris-infected chili pepper
plants, some parameters were observed including the plant height,
number of leaves and chlorophyll content. It was shown that nanochitosan
was highly effective in controlling the pathogen infection
on Bianca, Lado, and Tanamo, but not significant on Kiyo. The
application of synthetic bactericide, however, was effective on Bianca
and Lado, but not significant on Kiyo and Tanamo. It was also shown
that the application of nano-chitosan can improve the growth of the
X. campestris-infected chili pepper plants based on the significant
difference on the plant height, number of leaves and chlorophyll content
of cultivars tested, especially in Kiyo, Lado, and Tanamo. The application
of synthetic bactericide, however, did not significantly improve the
growth of the X. campestris-infected chili pepper plants. Nano-chitosan
was shown to be effective in reducing the infection of X. campestris
and potentially be used as an alternative to synthetic bactericide.