<![CDATA[Symbiotic bacteria associated with termites are a largely unexplored resource with potential for use as biological control agents. This study investigates their effectiveness in managing anthracnose disease caused by Colletotrichum sp. in bird’s eye chili, a disease known to impact crop productivity and yield. Despite its prevalence, farmers often rely on chemical pesticides, which pose environmental risks. The research was carried out over four months at the Plant Protection Laboratory, Bioscience Laboratory, and Innovation Garden of Politeknik Negeri Jember. The experimental procedures included bacterial isolation, preliminary antagonistic screening, hypersensitivity testing, in vitro assays against Colletotrichum sp., in vivo efficacy testing for disease suppression, and molecular identification. Four bacterial isolates—IR1A4, IR1A6, IR1A8, and IR4D3—demonstrated inhibitory effects against the pathogen. In vitro inhibition rates ranged from 22.52% to 80.47%, while in vivo suppression ranged from 7.89% to 18.42%. The IR1A6 isolate, closely related to Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, was the most effective in reducing pathogen growth. These findings highlight the potential of termite-derived bacteria as novel sources of biocontrol agents capable of suppressing fungal pathogens across diverse ecosystems.]]>
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