Isolation and identification of fungi associated with the spoilage of sweet orange (Citrus sinensis L) and banana (Musa sapientum L) in Sokoto Metropolis

Abstract

Mycological studies on fungi in apparently diseased sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) and banana (Musa sapientum) sampled from various points in Kara Market in Sokoto Metropolis was carried out between August and September, 2016. The samples were surfaced sterilized with ethanol and the homogenates were cultured on Potato Dextrose Agar and incubated aerobically at room temperature for 7days at 30°C. the pure cultures obtained were identified morphologically and microscopically. The investigation revealed that the samples were infected with several fungal species. The most predominant fungi isolated from sweet orange was Cladosporium spp (40%), Fusarium spp (30%), Alternaria spp (20%) and Chrysonilia spp (10%) while the most predominant fungi isolated from banana was Fusarium spp (50%), Mucor spp (30%) and Rhizopus spp (20%). The pathogenicity test result shows that Cladosporium spp and Fusarium spp were the most active in sweet orange with rot length of 74mm and 70mm respectively and the least active fungi were Alternaria spp and Chrsonilia spp with rots length of 52mm and 48mm respectively while Fusarium spp and Mucor spp were the most active in banana with rots length of 84mm and 75mm respectively and the least active fungus is Rhizopus spp with rots length of 54mm.