ANTIFUNGAL EFFICACY OF SOME INDIGENOUS PLANTS EXTRACT AGAINST RHIZOPUS STOLONIFER, THE CAUSAL AGENT OF WET ROT DISEASE OF POTATO (SOLANUM TUBEROSUM)

Abstract

Potato, (Solanum tuberosum (L.)) is a valuable stable food grown for its edible starchy tuber. This work was aimed to test the efficacy of indigenous plants extract for controlling wet rot disease of potato caused by Rhizopus stolonifer. The fungi was isolated from decaying bread and grown on potato dextrose agar (PDA) plates. Ripe Ginger (Zingiber officinale) (rhizome), West African pepper (Piper guineense) flower, Clove (Syzygium aromaticum) seed were collected from Muda Lawal Market, Bauchi, Nigeria. The dried seed were grinded using blender to get ginger, clove and West African pepper powder. Radial mycelia growth of Rhizopus stolonifer varied significantly (p≤0.01) with the application of different plant extracts. Mycelia growth of Rhizopus stolonifer was found to be low in potatoes treated with West African pepper (0.26 cm) than those treated with ginger (0.32 cm) and clove (0.33 cm). However, as observed from the result, ginger and clove did not differ statistically in their effect on Rhizopus mycelia growth (in vitro) but showed a better effect than the control treatment (0.40 cm). Inhibition of the mycelia growth by the West African pepper seed extract is an indication that it is fungicidal.