A field survey was conducted in Gboko and Ohimini Local Government Areas of Benue State where pepper is extensively cultivated to investigate the seed borne diseases of two Chilli pepper (Capsicum frutescens) types namely: 'Sombo' and Birdeye. Naturally infected pepper seeds were extracted from pepper fruits collected from farmers' fields between August and October, 2011 from the two Local Government Areas (LGAs). Using agar plate method a total of 20 genera and 36 species from three classes of fungi were isolated and identified from 800 seed samples of pepper. Colletothrichum capsici, Aspergillus niger and A. flavus were the most frequently isolated fungi with 54.75%, 44.00% and 29.75 % occurrence respectively. C. capsici/A.niger interaction had the highest occurrence of 3% followed by A.flavus/A. niger interaction with 1.25%. Nematode/fungi association had 26.25% occurrence on pepper seeds. Phoma spp, Humicola fuscoatra, Humicola dimorphospora, Bispora betulina, Phomopsis spp,Botryotrichum piluferum,Periconia byssoides,Coniothyrium fuckelii, Fumago spp, Septonema chaetospira and Syncephalotrichum racemosum are being reported on pepper seeds for the first time in Benue State. Detection of the seed borne fungi is important in the management of pepper diseases and can be a useful guide to strategic disease control.
Five cowpea varieties (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp) namely UAM 09 1055-6, UAM 09 1051-1, IT 99k-573-1-1, IT 90k-277-2 and IT 99k-573-2-1 were investigated for fungi associated with the seed, leaf spot disease incidence and severity in Makurdi (07o 45’- 7o 50’N and 08o 45’ - 08o 50’E ; 98 m)and Otobi (7°07’ - 7°11'N and 8° 05- 8°10'E) in Benue State, Nigeria under natural infection. The effect ofleaf spot incidence and severity on the growth and yield of cowpea varieties were also evaluated. Fungi associated with the seeds and leaf spot lesions were isolated and identified. Diseased leaf samples from the study locations were found to be infected with Fusarium verticillioides, Curvularia lunata, Aspergillus tamarii Kite, Lasiodiplodia theobromae, Aspergillus flavus Link and Aspergillus niger van Tiegh, Pythium spp, Fusarium solani, Macrophomina phaseolina and Phoma sp. Otobi field had significantly higher incidence and severity of leaf spot disease than the Makurdi field. Cowpea variety IT 99k-573-1-1, IT 99k-573-2-1 and IT 90k-277-2 were classified as moderately resistant in Makurdi with a mean incidence of 22.23%, 16.97% and 16.67% respectively while varieties UAM 09 1051-1 and UAM 09 1055-6 were classified as Moderately susceptible and Highly susceptible with mean leaf spot incidence of 41.67% and 99.17% respectively. In Otobi, all the cowpea varieties screened were classified as Susceptible to leaf spot incidence with the exception of variety IT 90k-277-2 which was classified as moderately susceptible to leaf spot disease. Key words: Cowpea, leaf spot, screening, resistant, susceptible.
Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is a legume of high nutritive and market value usually contaminated by aflatoxin. The evaluation of aflatoxin contamination of groundnut entering the food system through the markets is necessary to ascertain the quality of the groundnut sold and subsequently advice groundnut consumers. The study assessed the aflatoxin B1 (AfB1) contamination levels in groundnut sold in some markets in Lagos, Nigeria. Groundnut seeds were sampled from five Local Government Areas (L. G.A) of Lagos State namely: Agege, Eti-Osa, Ifako Ijaye, Ketu and Oshodi. The samples were packaged in envelopes and transported to the Mycotoxin laboratory of the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Nigeria for assessment of the fungi infections, seed germination and aflatoxin contamination levels. The experiment for the assessment of fungi infecting and germination of groundnut seeds was laid out in a completely randomized design in ten replicates. Detection of AfB1 present in the groundnut samples was done using Enzyme Linked Immunesorbent Assay (ELISA) method in three replicates. Result showed that Aspergillus flavus Link was the most frequently isolated fungi with 46 % incidence, Lasiodiplodia theobromae Pat. had 20 % incidence, Aspergillus niger van Tiegh with 11 % and Fusarium verticollioides Sacc. 7 % incidence. The moisture content of groundnut seeds ranged between 7.20 % and 6.53 %. Aflatoxin B1 concentrations in groundnut samples was highest in Eti Osa LGA (5.11 µg/kg) while Oshodi LGA had the least concentration (3.09 µg/kg). Groundnut samples from the five Local Government Areas of Lagos State were contaminated with AfB1 at concentration levels below the safe limits for human consumption and health of 20µg/kg. Management of fungi infection on the field is recommended to prevent field to store contamination of groundnut seeds.
This study investigated the antifungal effects of three concentrations of the stem bark extract of neem (Azadiratcha indica A. Juss) and bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina Del.) on Aspergillus flavus causal agent of rot in tomato fruits. Five, ten and fifteen percent concentration of the plant extracts were prepared by weighing 25 g, 50 g and 75 g and infusing each in 500 ml sterile cold water for 48 hours (weight by volume w/v). Potato dextrose agar (PDA) media was amended with the plant extracts and inoculated at the centre with 1 mm diameter mycelia discs taken from a advancing edges of a pure culture of seven days old A. flavus. Healthy tomato fruits were dipped in 5% w/v, 10% w/v and 15% w/v concentrations of the stem bark extracts for five minutes and the tomato fruits inoculated with 7 day old pure cultures of A. flavus. All the plant extracts tested at all concentrations significantly reduced the mycelia growth of A. flavus compared with the control. The tomato fruits treated with 5% w/v of A. indica had the lowest firmness decrease of 1.67 and was considered marketable. Tomato fruits treated with 15% w/v of A. indica had significantly (P≤ 0.05)
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