Abstract: INTRODUCTION: Anthracnose, primarily caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides is a main diseaseaffecting mangoes, leading to significant postharvest losses by deteriorating fruit quality and reducing shelf life.  RATIONALE: Addressing postharvest anthracnose is a critical challenge in the mango industry. Biological control methods, such as utilizing antagonistic bacteria, offer sus-tainable alternatives to chemical treatments. This study investigates the efficacy of Ba-cillus velezensis in inhibiting C. gloeosporioides and its potential in preserving mango fruit quality.  RESULTS: The application of B. velezensis culture filtrate (CF) effectively inhibited spore germination and mycelial growth of C. gloeosporioides. At CF concentrations of 2% and 4%, mycelial inhibition rates were 75.18% and 80.96%, respectively. In vivo experiments demonstrated that both bacterial suspension (CB) and CF treatments significantly re-duced lesion expansion on mangoes, with inhibition rates of 44.33% and 65.00%, respectively. Treated fruits exhibited a slower decrease in titratable acids and maintained higher levels of total phenols and flavonoids, indicating delayed ripening and extended shelf life.   CONCLUSION: Bacillus velezensis exhibits strong antagonistic activity against C. gloeosporioides, effectively controlling mango anthracnose and preserving fruit quality. Its application as a biocontrol agent holds promise for sustainable postharvest management in mango production.

Key words: Mango, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Bacillus velezensis, biological control, fresh preservation