Abstract
Onion (Allium cepa L.) is the second most important vegetable crop in Burkina Faso and provides an important source of income for those involved in the sector. However, producers are facing significant pre-harvest and post-harvest losses. To date, knowledge of major diseases of the crop is limited, limiting the development of effective control strategies. The objective of this study was to test the pathogenicity of some species of Fusarium. To this end, 33 fungal isolates collected from onion plants in 17 localities and belonging to five Fusarium species were used to inoculate onion seeds and bulbs to determine the pathogenic species responsible for damping-off on seedlings and basal bulb rot in Burkina Faso. The virulence of pathogenic isolates was determined according to the percentages of seedling damping-off evaluated 28 Days After Sowing, and the extent of rot in millimetres on inoculated bulbs. The evaluation of isolates on seedlings revealed that the most pathogenic isolates belong to the species F. proliferatum (I29, I21, I37, I33, I31), F. thapsinum (I35) and F. solani (I38) which resulted in 58.33% - 70.83% of seedling damping-off. The most pathogenic isolates on bulbs belong to the species F. proliferatum (I4, I29, I32) and F. oxysporum (I52, I50, I16) which caused 21.67 to 25 mm of rot on bulbs. Isolate I29 was very virulent on both seedlings and bulbs. The isolates of F. fujikuroi species were all low pathogenic on seedlings but one of them, (I27), expressed average pathogenicity on bulbs.
Highlights
In Burkina Faso, agriculture is the main source of income for the poorest populations and the basis for the country’s food security
In view of damage caused by these diseases, a better understanding of the most pathogenic species is needed; and the objective of this study was to test the pathogenicity of 33 Fusarium isolates belonging to five species (F. oxysporum; F. thapsinum; F. proliferatum; F. solani and F. fujikuroi) isolated from onion plants in Burkina Faso, in order to determine the species involved in seedling damping-off and onion bulb rot for the development of an appropriate and sustainable management method for these pathogens
The first two groups consisting of six isolates, five of which belong to the species F. proliferatum (I21, I29, I31, I33, I37) and one to the species F. thapsinum (I35), induced strong pre-emergence damping-off
Summary
In Burkina Faso, agriculture is the main source of income for the poorest populations and the basis for the country’s food security. The disease begins in the field and presents symptoms such as delayed emergence, pre-emergence and post-emergence damping-off, late growth, chlorotic leaves, necrosis, root and bulb discoloration, rot and death of the plant [13]. These effects continue in the post-harvest stage and cause losses in the quantity and quality of bulbs in storage [13] [14] [15]. In view of damage caused by these diseases, a better understanding of the most pathogenic species is needed; and the objective of this study was to test the pathogenicity of 33 Fusarium isolates belonging to five species (F. oxysporum; F. thapsinum; F. proliferatum; F. solani and F. fujikuroi) isolated from onion plants in Burkina Faso, in order to determine the species involved in seedling damping-off and onion bulb rot for the development of an appropriate and sustainable management method for these pathogens
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