Background: The post-harvest tomato fruit rot disease is common threat to the tomato fruit, causing huge economic loss as revealed by (GOP, 2018). The present study was conducted for isolatation and identification of causative agent of tomato fruit rot in order to formulate the proper management stretegies.
Methods: Study was conducted in three phases. Phase one included collection of tomato fruit samples from vicinity of Tandojam. In phase two pathogens were isolated from the samples at laboratory, while in the phase three pathogens were identified using standard procedures.
Result: The experimental results indicated Alternaria solani as the main cause of post-harvest tomato fruit rot. The symptoms observed were presence of brown to black rot lesions on tomato fruits with distinct rings ranging from small pin-heads to whole surface of fruit. A total of six different fungi viz., Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus niger, Alternaria solani, Geotrichum candidum, Fusarium oxysporum and Rhizopus stolonifer were found to be associated with post harvest tomato rot. Significantly higher infection was recorded for A. solani (53.667%) followed by A. niger (16.333%) and G. candidum (13.00%). The lowest infection percentage was observed for F. oxysporum (2.333%), followed by A. alternata (4.00%) and R. stolonifer (9.00%). A. solani produced aerial mycelium with yellowish to reddish diffusible pigments. A. niger cultures were typically black and colonies were initially whitish to yellow and later became brown to black in colour. G. candidum produced white and nonaerial colonies. F. oxysporum produced circular, aerial mycelium initially white, later changed to light pink. R. stolonifer produced whitish to grey fuzzy colonies.
Pakistan is regarded as one of the top ranked date palm cultivated regions of the world. In Sindh province of Pakistan, date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is mainly cultivated in Khairpur. Date palm holds a significant position in the socio-economic development at Khairpur where several thousand peoples are associated directly or indirectly with date palm cultivation, trade and market. Date palm requires high temperature and low humidity from flowering to fruiting and no rainfall during ripening. Unfortunately, in district Khairpur, during the period of rainfall, humidity becomes very high and temperature decreases. The periods of high humidity provide favorable conditions for the growth and development of fungal pathogens which cause severe losses in yield and quality of fruits. The present study was, therefore, conducted to find out the effect of humidity on the growth and development of fungal pathogens in three cultivars of dates viz. Aseel, Kupro and Khar at ripening stage due to moisturized weather conditions at Sobho Dero Taluka of district Khairpur. The symptoms of fungal attack such as cracking, blackening, blemishes and spoilage were observed on ripened fruits. Three fungi viz. Fusarium poae, Alternaria tenuis and Aspergillus niger were isolated from infected samples of three selected cultivars. The frequencies of occurrence of these fungi were 5.66, 6.33 and 8.33 respectively. It is concluded that incidence and prevalence of fungal pathogens greatly increased during rainy season which demand stringent surveillance and control measures to minimize the damage
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