Checklist of pests and diseases of fruits and vegetables in Bamenda, North West Region, Cameroon

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Fruits and vegetables are an integral part of human diet attributed to their appealing flavour, taste, nutrients and health-promoting properties. However, in Cameroon, the agricultural system is constantly dealing with a decrease in fruit and vegetable yield due to diseases and pests’ infestation. The aim of this study was to identify diseases and pests of fruits and vegetables in farms and markets in Mezam Division. North West Region of Cameroon. A field survey was conducted in randomly selected farms in Mezam, Bamenda while a market survey was carried at Mile 3 Nkwen and the Bamenda food markets in December 2022 and January 2023 with the participation of secondary school Biology teachers as trainees. They were taught on the signs and symptoms of diseases caused by fungi, bacteria, and viruses on fruits and vegetables by plant pathologists while insect pests’ identification was taught by agriculture entomologists from the University of Bamenda. Pictures of infected vegetable and fruit parts were taken; host plant was identified and the pathogens causing disease was identified based on signs and symptoms and results presented on tables. Also, Infected vegetables and fruits samples were cultured in PDA and pure cultures were identified by use of cultural characters. Insect identification was done with the aid of photographs and by the use of a dichotomous key which was used to determine the orders of the different insect pests. High number of vegetables and fruits were found to be infected by fungi, bacterial and viral pathogens. The symptoms observed in farms and markets ranged from fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum on Passifora edulis, bacteria canker of Persea americana to leaf spot disease caused by Pleospora spp. on Talinum fruticosum. The insect pests identified were Dacus punctatifrons, Helicoverpa armigera, Podagrica spp., Bemisia tabaci and aphids. Some of these insect pests serve as vectors of plant diseases.