<![CDATA[Background: Anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum sp. is one of the major diseases limiting red chili production. Trichoderma sp. is a promising biological control agent, but its large-scale application requires suitable propagation media. Methods: This study aimed to evaluate alternative media for the mass propagation of Trichoderma sp. and the suppression of anthracnose through in vitro and in vivo experiments using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). The in vitro assay involved an antagonism test using five treatments with four replications, measuring the inhibitory effect via the dual culture method. The in vivo assay assessed the incubation period and disease intensity using five treatments with four replications each, yielding 20 experimental units. Each experimental unit consisted of five plant samples, making a total of 100 plants. The collected data were analyzed using ANOVA and the Honestly Significant Difference (HSD) test at a 5% significance level. Results: Alternative media affected the growth and effectiveness of Trichoderma sp. In the in vitro test, inhibition against Colletotrichum sp. ranged from 30.67% to 52.58% at 5 days after inoculation. In the in vivo test, disease intensity at 84 days after planting ranged from 6.25% to 22.50% in treated plants, compared with 28.33% in the control. Corn-rice and rice-bran media showed the most favorable overall performance in supporting propagation and disease suppression. Conclusions: Alternative media can support the propagation of Trichoderma sp. and maintain its antagonistic potential against anthracnose in red chili. Corn-rice and rice-bran media showed the best overall potential among the tested media.]]>
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