Occurrence of wood-and root- rot basidiomycetes on trees in Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria

Abstract

Several death and decays or rots of tropical trees are as result of infection caused by wood and root rot ‘parasitic basidiomycetes. In the present study, survey of parasitic homobasidiomycetes causing wood and root rot on woody trees in Bayero University, Kano (two campuses) was carried out
between April – September, 2011. The survey was conducted in two phases, to determine the occurrence of wood and root-rot parasitic fungi on the trees and the level/extent of damage done by the parasites. Results on the distribution and relative abundances of these wood and root-rot causing parasitic basidiomycetes have indicated the presence of two predominant species: Ganoderma phillipii and Phellinus noxious on the trees found on the two campuses with Ganoderma phillipii being the most occurring (40 and 15 isolates from old and new campus, respectively) while Phellinus noxious was the least (31 and 17 isolates from old and new campus, respectively). These parasitic basidiomyecetes were found affecting and causing damages on Azadirachta indica (neem tree) and Parkia biglobosa (parkia) trees. A total of 22 trees (seven and 15 in the old and new campus, respectively) were found dead due to serious infection by the parasites. This situation if left unchecked may grow and become a more serious threat to the trees on the two campuses. Effort should be made to eliminate these fungi before they kill more of the
trees on the two campuses considering the importance of trees to mankind.

Keywords: Basidiomycetes, woody trees, Bayero University, wood and root rot