Agents In Management Research Articles

Biocontrol agents for Sustainable Management of Bud Rot Disease in Coconut Nursery

Biocontrol agents for Sustainable Management of Bud Rot Disease in Coconut Nursery

Bioconversion of organic wastes using black soldier fly

Experiment was conducted at Department of Entomology, University of Agricultural Science Dharwad, to evaluate feasibility to degrade organic wastes in laboratory condition. Organic wastes like Vegetable Waste (VW), Fruit Waste (FW), Unfed Crop Waste (UCW), Kitchen Waste (KW), VW + dung (3:1), FW + dung (3:1), UCW + dung (3:1), KW + dung (3:1) were added in tray with 700 maggots per tray. Organic wastes (feed) were supplied @ 220 mg/maggot/day and the total feed maintained was 500 g/tray which was sufficient for three days. Feed was supplied at three days interval up to 9th day and hence total feed used per tray was 1500 g. Results indicated that kitchen waste was significantly superior over the other treatments with high prepupal weight (317.97 mg/maggot), maximum bioconversion rate (14.56%) and high feed reduction rate (96.07%). The present study revealed that kitchen waste as feed for Black Soldier Fly, results in better pre pupal weight and higher waste reduction efficiency. Thus, the kitchen waste can be used for mass rearing of Black Soldier Fly to explore its potentiality as a bio agent for waste management.

Remote Service Manager using Zookeeper

Abstract: Navigating the intricate landscape of service management and monitoring within on-premises applications, burdened by extensive legacy codebases, presents challenges. The complexities associated with deploying applications to the cloud for enhanced management are worsened by the complexity arising from vast on-premises applications. The mandatory process of containerization becomes an intricate and daunting task. The lack of centralized management worsens service control fragmentation, leading to inefficiencies. Manual interventions hinder progress due to potential errors. Scalability challenges increase with more machines and services, compounded by a lack of real-time insights into performance. Dependencies on tools limit adaptability, adding complexity to administering services across diverse machines, requiring extensive training. In response, the proposed "Service Manager" emerges as a centralized tool, designed to overcome these limitations. The Service Manager orchestrates diverse operations on services across machines, offering a user-friendly web interface for seamless triggering and monitoring. Accompanied by the Service Manager Agent on each machine, it interacts with services, leveraging Apache Zookeeper for streamlined coordination, ensuring efficient execution of operations. This solution empowers administrators, marking a pivotal advancement in managing and monitoring services within complex and dynamic environments. Keywords: Remote Monitoring, coordination, apache zookeeper

Operating Capacity, Sales Growth, Managerial Agency Costs, Ownership Structure on Financial Distress in Indonesian Companies

Operating Capacity, Sales Growth, Managerial Agency Costs, Ownership Structure on Financial Distress in Indonesian Companies

EFFECTIVENESS OF PROMOTION (CONVENTIONAL AND SOCIAL MEDIA) AND LEVEL OF EASY SERVICE OF HAJJ AND UMRAH MANAGEMENT BUREAU OR AGENT IN THE PANTURA REGION

Promotional activities increase product/service knowledge and consumer's perceived value, thus further increasing their desire to make purchases.This research aims to examine the effectiveness of promotions (conventional and social media) and the level of service convenience of Hajj and Umrah management bureaus or agents in the Pantura area. The approach used in the research is quantitative descriptive. The data collection technique uses a questionnaire with purposive sampling type. The respondents used in this research came from Tegal City and Tegal Regency. The technique for analyzing data applies hypothesis testing based on changes in the Cochran version and analysis of variance through Friedman's two-way level. This research concluded that based on testing the Cochran version of the change hypothesis (Cochran change test), it was concluded that the five promotional means, both conventional and social media, used by Hajj and Umrah bureaus or agents had significant differences in effectiveness. Meanwhile, based on analysis of variance through Friedman's two-way level, the final conclusion was that respondents had significant differences in preferences for the four bureaus or agents for the level of convenience of Hajj and Umrah services. The suggestion from this research is that further research is needed to ensure that promotional tools have a better level of effectiveness than the five promotional tools from this research. And it is recommended to test the hypothesis with a more comprehensive method related to measuring the level of ease of Hajj and Umrah services.

Computational analysis of potential drug-like compounds from Solanum torvum - A promising phytotherapeutics approach for the treatment of diabetes

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a global pandemic that is characterized by high blood glucose levels. Conventional treatments have limitations, leading to the search for natural alternatives. This study focused on Solanum torvum (STV), a medicinal plant, to identify potential anti-diabetic compounds using molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations. We focused on identifying natural inhibitors of two key enzymes involved in glucose metabolism: α-amylase (1HNY) and α-glucosidase (4J5T). In our preliminary docking study, rutin showed the highest binding affinity (−11.58 kcal/mol) to α-amylase, followed by chlorogenin (−7.58 kcal/mol) and myricetin (−5.82 kcal/mol). For α-glucosidase, rutin had the highest binding affinity (−11.78 kcal/mol), followed by chlorogenin (−7.11 kcal/mol) and fisetin (−6.44 kcal/mol). Hence, chlorogenin and rutin were selected for further analysis and compared with acarbose, an FDA-approved antidiabetic drug. Comparative docking revealed that chlorogenin had the highest binding affinity of (−9.9 kcal/mol) > rutin (−8.7 kcal/mol) and > acarbose (−7.7 kcal/mol) for α-amylase. While docking with α-glucosidase, chlorogenin again had the highest binding affinity of (−9.8 kcal/mol) > compared to rutin (−9.5 kcal/mol) and acarbose (−7.9 kcal/mol). Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were conducted to assess their stability. We simulated 100 nanoseconds (ns) trajectories to analyze their stability on various parameters, including RMSD, RMSF, RG, SASA, H-bond analysis, PCA, FEL, and MM-PBSA on the six docked proteins. In conclusion, our study suggests that chlorogenin and rutin derived from STV may be effective natural therapeutic agents for diabetes management because of their strong binding affinities for the α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

Oral small molecule agents in management of ulcerative colitis: fact or fancy?

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic, immune-mediated disease characterized by recurring episodes of mucosal inflammation in the colon and rectum. The primary pathogenic mechanism of ulcerative colitis is the dysregulation of the mucosal immune response. The disease follows a relapsing-remitting course, and the goal of management is to successfully induce and then maintain remission. Effectively managing this chronic disease requires addressing all aspects of it. Currently, we have various antitumor necrosis factor agents and novel biologics available for treating ulcerative colitis patients with moderate-to-severe disease. However, none of the existing treatments are considered entirely satisfactory or ideal in these cases. After extensive progressive research, oral small molecule therapies targeting mediators of ongoing inflammation represent an exciting and revolutionary change in the treatment of ulcerative colitis, especially for patients with moderate-to-severe disease. In this review, we aimed to summarize the available experience and ongoing research on oral small molecule agents in the management of ulcerative colitis. The available experience and ongoing research with promising outcomes provide convincing evidence that the value of oral small molecule agents is fact not fancy.

Profiling Lignocellulose Degraders in the Microbiome of Rice Straw from Three Selected Lowland Farms in General Santos City, Philippines Using a High-Throughput Microarray Platform

Crop residues, such as rice straw, usually regarded as agricultural wastes recalcitrant to degradation, offer a myriad of services in the field, including reservoirs of valuable microorganisms and bioactive substances that are necessary for productive agroecosystems. However, very few studies report on the utilization of rice straw as a source of lignin-degrading microorganisms. This study probed into the taxonomic diversity of microorganisms associated with rice straw using metagenomic DNA obtained from samples collected in three lowland rice fields in General Santos City, Philippines for bioprospecting of microorganisms with ligninolytic potential and expanding the knowledge on prokaryotic lignin-degraders. Three samples collected from each site were pooled into one sample for the extraction of genomic DNA that was further subjected to the AxiomTM Microbiome Array (AMA) analysis, a relatively new high-throughput detection system, that can comprehensively identify a wide range of microorganisms at the species and strain levels. The sequences identified via AMA analysis were distributed across 3 superkingdoms, 7 phyla and 55 families. Our data showed that the samples contain a few fungi and some DNA viruses but are primarily composed of prokaryotic bacteria, with Actinomycetota, Bacillota, Bacteroidota, and Pseudomonadota being the dominant phyla in terms of the number of detected species. The rice straw microbiomes harbored several microbial species that have been widely reported elsewhere as lignocellulose degraders. Several noteworthy species detected by AMA were closely related to Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, Cellvibrio japonicus, Pseudomonas putida, Flavobacterium rivuli, Fusarium graminearum, and Streptomyces sp. The results of this study provide molecular evidence that rice straw-associated microbiomes are rich sources of biological agents for crop residue management.

Plant Growth Promotion and Stress Tolerance Enhancement through Inoculation with Bacillus proteolyticus OSUB18.

The isolation of B. proteolyticus OSUB18 from switchgrass unveiled its significant potential in both the enhancement of plant growth and the suppression of plant diseases in our previous study. The elucidation of the related mechanisms governing this intricate plant-microbe interaction involved the utilization of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. In our comprehensive study on Arabidopsis, OSUB18 treatment was found to significantly alter root architecture and enhance plant growth under various abiotic stresses. An RNA-seq analysis revealed that OSUB18 modified gene expression, notably upregulating the genes involved in glucosinolate biosynthesis and plant defense, while downregulating those related to flavonoid biosynthesis and wound response. Importantly, OSUB18 also induces systemic resistance in Arabidopsis against a spectrum of bacterial and fungal pathogens and exhibits antagonistic effects on phytopathogenic bacteria, fungi, and oomycetes, highlighting its potential as a beneficial agent in plant stress management and pathogen resistance. Overall, our findings substantiate that OSUB18 exerts a stimulatory influence on plant growth and health, potentially attributed to the remodeling of root architecture, defense signaling, and the comprehensive mitigation of various biotic and abiotic stresses.

Engineering Clinically Relevant Probiotics with Switchable "Nano-Promoter" and "Nano-Effector" for Precision Tumor Therapy.

Probiotics have the potential as biotherapeutic agents for cancer management in preclinical models and human trials by secreting antineoplastic or immunoregulatory agents in the tumor microenvironment (TME). However, current probiotics lack the ability to dynamically respond to unique TME characteristics, leading to limited therapeutic accuracy and efficacy. Although progress has been made in customizing controllable probiotics through synthetic biology, the engineering process is complex and the predictability of production is relatively low. To address this, here, for the first time, this work adopts pH-dependent peroxidase-like (POD-like) artificial enzymes as both an inducible "nano-promoter" and "nano-effector" to engineer clinically relevant probiotics to achieve switchable control of probiotic therapy. The nanozyme initially serves as an inducible "nano-promoter," generating trace amounts of nonlethal reactive oxygen species (ROS) stress to upregulate acidic metabolites in probiotics. Once metabolites acidify the TME to a threshold, the nanozyme switches to a "nano-effector," producing a great deal of lethal ROS to fight cancer. This approach shows promise in subcutaneous, orthotopic, and colitis-associated colorectal cancer tumors, offering a new methodology for modulating probiotic metabolism in a pathological environment.

Evaluation of microbial biocontrol agents for Ganoderma boninense management in oil palm nurseries

Importance of the workMicroorganisms play a pivotal role in the growth and development of plants, making their interaction a promising avenue for managing plant diseases, including those affecting oil palm cultivation. ObjectivesIn this study, endophytic microbes such as actinomycetes, bacteria, and fungi were isolated from healthy oil palm tissue in susceptible areas to serve as stock isolates. These isolates underwent in vitro evaluation to determine their efficacy in controlling Ganoderma boninense and to identify bioactive metabolites. Additionally, in planta tests were conducted using bioformulations. Materials & MethodsA dual culture assay was utilized to assess the inhibitory effects of three different stock isolates on G. boninense. To detect bioactive metabolites responsible for the inhibition, particularly phenazine and syringic acid, a series of procedures involving fermentation, extraction, and LC-MS analysis were employed. Furthermore, the efficacy of bioformulations employing various carriers and consisting of either microbial consortia was meticulously evaluated in a nursery setting. The main focus of this evaluation was to determine their capacity to effectively curb disease onset and maintain the vegetative growth of oil palm during the progression of G. boninense. ResultsSeveral strains of indigenous bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain JQ-41, Serratia marcescens strain S16, Stenotrophomonas rhizophila strain CASMBAUDAL2), an actinobacterium (Streptomyces sp.), and a fungus (Trichoderma sp.) exhibited significant growth inhibition against G. boninense. Based on the results obtained from the LC-MS analysis of the ethyl acetate extract, it was revealed that the extract contains 2 compounds known as antifungal agents, namely phenazine and syringic acid. The most effective approach to mitigate infection involved the preventive application of bioformulations containing mixed bacterial isolates or microbial consortia. After 12 months of observation, these bioformulations demonstrated efficacy comparable to that of Marfu-P, a commercially available biofungicide for oil palm seedlings. Main findingThe study establishes the effectiveness of endophytic bioformulations as a viable strategy to manage the onset of G. boninense disease, highlighting the potential of microorganisms as an alternative solution for controlling basal stem rot in the nursery.

Enhanced in-vitro anti-Candida efficacy of Euphorbia milii Des Moul mediated copper nanoparticles against clinically isolated Candida albicans.

Emergence of fungi as a pathogenic threat presents a significant challenge to public health, notably in intensive care units (ICUs) and among immunocompromised patients. Various factors, including sepsis-induced barrier disruptions, immune system dysfunction, and extremes of age, contribute to increased susceptibility to fungal infections. Hospital practices, such as prolonged surgeries, broad-spectrum antibiotic use, and invasive procedures, further exacerbate the risk. Fungal bloodstream infections, particularly those caused by Candida albicans, rank among the most common hospital-acquired infections, leading to substantial morbidity and mortality. The global rise in invasive candidiasis, particularly due to non-albicans Candida species, presents challenges in the diagnosis and treatment due to nonspecific symptoms and emerging antifungal resistance. Nanotechnology interventions particularly by utilizing green synthesized copper nanoparticles could possibly provide a novel solution to combat microbial colonization, biofilm formation, and drug resistance. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of candidemia, identify the distribution of causative Candida species, and understand their susceptibility patterns to commonly used antifungal agents for effective management in ICU settings. Additionally, the study sought to explore the in vitro anti-Candida activity of green copper nanoparticles synthesized using Euphorbia milii des moul extract. This study was conducted at Microbiology Laboratory of Maharishi Markandeshwar Institute of Medical Sciences and Research from January to December 2022, focused on ICU patients suspected of bloodstream infections. Blood samples were collected aseptically and processed using BD BACTECTM culture vials. Identification of organisms was performed via the Vitek-2 system by confirming candidemia with positivity in both blood samples. After that antifungal susceptibility testing was also performed against Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute recommended antifungal drug using Vitek 2 system. G-CuNPs were synthesized using E. milii Des moul extract and possessed for physiochemical characterization. The anti-Candida activity of G-CuNPs was evaluated through the MTT assay and time kill assay. After that generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species and DNA degradation were evaluated to understand its mechanism. This study identified a candidemia rate of 7.3% (58/789). Age and gender analysis revealed higher Candida colonization rates in individuals above 60 years old and females. Antifungal sensitivity profiling indicated notable resistance to fluconazole (27.59%) and voriconazole (25.86%). Synthesizing G-CuNPs using E. milii des moul extract represents a novel approach exhibiting significant fungicidal potency against clinically isolated C. albicans, supporting potential therapeutic applications. the findings concluded that synthesized G-CuNPs have tremendous potential to battle against medical device-borne infections by surface coating.

Concurrent opioid and alcohol withdrawal management.

Concurrent alcohol and opioid withdrawal syndrome is a common and challenging clinical scenario with little published evidence or guidance to inform pharmacotherapy strategies. Concurrent use of benzodiazepines and opioid agonists, which are considered first-line agents for management of each withdrawal syndrome independently, is controversial and often avoided in clinical practice. Strategies to provide effective, simultaneous medication treatment of alcohol and opioid withdrawal while optimizing patient safety are demonstrated through 3 patient cases.

Small molecule agents in clinical management of inflammatory bowel disease: Current status and future prospects

Small molecule agents in clinical management of inflammatory bowel disease: Current status and future prospects

Study of Endophytes as Biocontrol Agents Vis-a-Vis their Compatibility to Fungicides in Grapes

The present study was conducted at ICAR-National Research Centre for Grapes in Pune, Maharashtra, India during 2021–2022 to study endophytic bacteria as biocontrol agents vis-a-via their compatibility to fungicides in grapes. Eighteen endophytic bacteria were isolated from nine varieties of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) viz. Manjari Naveen (MN), Nanasaheb Purple (NP), Thompson Seedless (TS), Crimson Seedless (CS), Manik Chaman (MC), Maruti Seedless (MS), Fantasy Seedless (FS) and 2A Clone (2A). The distinct colonies were selected, sub-cultured, purified and subjected to analysis of macroscopic and microscopic features followed by screening of bacterial isolates for plant growth-promoting (PGP) traits, extracellular hydrolytic enzyme production, and abiotic stress tolerance assay. Eighteen diverse endophytic bacteria were found to be Gram positive to Gram negative and with white, whitish yellow and whitish red colonies. Different biochemical tests which were needful for the identification of the bacteria were performed. Antibiotic sensitivity and antifungal assays were conducted with five antibiotics and pathogenic fungi Colletotrichum gloeosporioides respectively. Results of dual culture plate assay for antimicrobial activity revealed that 10 isolates showed significant growth inhibition of the test pathogen and were selected for the compatibility studies. The results highlighted that most of the isolates were highly compatible with all the fungicides used for powdery mildew, downy mildew, anthracnose and bacterial leaf spot. The work indicated the importance of the endophytic bacteria which can be used as promising biocontrol agents for grapevine disease management.

Indigenous Biopreparations and Biocontrol Agents for Growth and Disease Management in Black Pepper Nursery

The present study was carried out at Agricultural Research Station, Thiruvalla, Kerala, India during December, 2020–July, 2021 to evaluate the efficacy of native biocontrol agents and fermented organic preparations viz; fish-jaggery extract, egg-lemon juice extract and jeevamrutha on growth enhancement and suppression of Phytophthora infection in black pepper nursery. The plants were challenge inoculated with Phytophthora capsici at the collar region. The plant growth parameters were recorded before and one month after treatment application. Results showed that a considerable increase in plant height (49.30%) and number of leaves (57.89%) with the application of bacterial antagonists A1 and S2 respectively. Application of fish-jaggery extract increased the shoot girth by 29.6%. Soil application of Trichoderma combined with spraying of bacterial antagonists A1 and S2 also increased the shoot girth considerably. Application of jeevamrutha increased the total leaf area by 49.98% and chlorophyll contents viz. chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and total chlorophyll was also maximum with this application. Phytophthora infection at collar region was not observed in plants treated with potassium phosphonate and fish-jaggery extract. Application of egg-lemon juice extract, jeevamrutha and bioagents also recorded less infection on collar region. The study indicated the efficacy of fermented organic fertilizers and bioagents in improving plant growth and also in reducing pathogen infection at nursery stage. Hence a combination of native antagonistic microflora and indigenous biopreparations could be effectively utilized in commercial production of healthy planting materials in black pepper nurseries.

Black pepper pathogen suppression: Divergent rhizosphere fungal communities of healthy and diseased plants yield new insights for orchard management in Vietnam

Complex interactions involving soil physicochemical parameters and plant-associated microbial communities determine crop health. In Vietnam, this process is poorly understood in the context of black pepper production. Specifically, there is a dearth of information for improving the suppression of pathogenic fungi. Understanding the environmental dynamics influencing the distribution of these pathogens would facilitate the development and use of biological agents in black pepper pathogen management. Here, the molecular profiles of fungal communities from the rhizosphere of healthy and unhealthy Vietnamese black pepper orchards and their relationships were determined. Additionally, co-occurrence analyses with a previously constructed bacterial dataset identified taxa indicative of soil suppression. Alpha diversity of total fungi was influenced by only environmental factors, while that of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi was more responsive to orchard health state. Glomus sp., Rhizophagus sp., Purpureocillium sp. and Plectosphaerella sp. were the most responsive genera to orchard health state. Potential fungal pathogens were more prevalent in the unhealthy orchards. Co-occurrence network analyses revealed that unhealthy orchards were less connected, had longer path distance and were missing putative pathogen-to-biocontrol interactions common in the healthy orchards. Soil electrical conductivity and potassium may be key factors in differentiating fungal communities of unhealthy from healthy orchards. This work highlights important microbial species and environmental considerations critical to improved black pepper management strategies.

Factors that influence parental satisfaction with SDF treatment in healthy children and those with special healthcare needs

PurposeSilver diamine fluoride (SDF) is used as a caries management agent for the arrest of dentinal caries lesions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the satisfaction with SDF treatment provided at a university pediatric dentistry clinic and to identify factors that may contribute to parental dissatisfaction.MethodsWe obtained retrospective data of children who received SDF treatment at our clinic from 1 February 2019 to 28 February 2021. Parents were contacted by phone to participate in a survey that evaluated their satisfaction with the treatment. Satisfaction was evaluated as a function of medical status, ease of treatment, outcome of SDF treatment, esthetics, and understanding of treatment goals and side effects using contingency tables and chi-square statistics.ResultsFrom 209 children who received SDF treatment, we were able to contact 91 parents by telephone, and 79 agreed to participate. Special healthcare needs (SHCN) patients were overrepresented in our sample, comprising 22.3% of all treated and 36.7% of participants. More than 90% were satisfied with the treatment, would do it again and would recommend it to others. Among the 49 children who complained of pain, SDF treatment resolved 82% of these complaints. In the subsample with follow-up in our clinic, approximately half of the treated teeth later received restorative treatment or were extracted, and the other half presented without further treatment. Some children received further treatment elsewhere. Parental dissatisfaction was related to staining of the anterior teeth (p = 0.04), the need for further treatment (p = 0.02) and a lesser understanding of side effects (p = 0.002).ConclusionMost parents were satisfied with SDF therapy as a dental treatment choice due to its easy application and desensitizing effects. Our findings indicate that parental understanding of the interim nature of the treatment and staining of the lesions is important to achieve parental satisfaction.

Theranostic siRNA loaded mesoporous silica nanoplatforms: A game changer in gene therapy for cancer treatment

Growing interest has been seen in non-pathogenic, safe, and effective gene therapy delivery systems. There are many nucleic acid therapies that have been studied to alter the expression of DNA or RNA, such as mRNA, siRNA, antisense DNA, and microRNA (miRNA), of which siRNA has been shown to be useful in blocking specific genes. The development of an efficient nucleic acid delivery method is crucial for molecular diagnostic and therapeutic systems. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) with high porosity, good textural qualities, and biocompatibility have been studied for use in drug delivery systems. They are being utilized more and more in combination therapy, gene silencing, and other biological applications, especially in cancer nanomedicine. MSNs offer efficient drug loading and controlled release, and additions can change their characteristics. They are widely employed in target medication delivery, biosensing, cellular uptake, and diagnostics in the biomedical field. Additionally, they have been connected to theranostic drugs for cancer treatment. This review highlights the current state of knowledge of MSNs and their specialized applications as theranostic agents for cancer management.

Systemic resistance induced by plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria in Bhut Jolokia (Capsicum chinense Jacq.) suppressed the collar rot disease

Collar rot disease caused by Rhizoctonia solani is a major constraint to the commercial cultivation of Bhut Jolokia (Capsicum chinense Jacq.) in North-East India. However, the management of the disease is not addressed comprehensively in this plant. Some plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) could control plant diseases by triggering induction of resistance systemically, and emerge as a highly promising approach to reduce the use of chemical fungicides. Therefore, five selected PGPRs were tested for plant growth promotion and induced systemic resistance (ISR) for controlling the disease. Induced systemic resistance was determined in vivo condition. Confocal laser scanning microscopic observation was done to see any harmful effects on cells in the induced plant. The PGPRs could significantly improve plant growth as well as suppress the disease and boost defense-related enzymes activity in the induced plants. Bacillus megaterium JPR68 triggered the maximum ISR in the plant. Expression of the defense-related genes was analyzed which were highly expressed in ISR plants. Microscopic observation revealed that no internal changes occurred in PGPR treated plant cells similar to the untreated plant, and indicated no harmful effect of the bacteria in the host cell. The study demonstrates the possible application of B. megaterium JPR68 as a biocontrol agent for sustainable management of the disease. To our knowledge, this is the first report of ISR against any fungal disease in Bhut Jolokia.