The host range of Aspergillus niger and Fusarium oxysporum in the family solanaceae

Abstract

A study was carried out to determine the host range of two fungal organisms, Fusarium oxysporum, the cause of vegetable root rots and Aspergillus niger, the black mold organism, among the members of the family Solanaceae. The test crops were tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum), pepper (Capsicum annuum), potato (Solanum tuberosum), egg plant (Solanum melongena) and tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). Artificial inoculation of the test plants with spore and mycelial suspension of F. oxysporum and culture paste of A. niger showed that rot symptoms were produced in pepper, tomato, egg plant and tobacco, while mold occurred in eggplant, tobacco, tomato and potato. Root rot symptoms caused massive destruction of the root system in affected plants causing wilting and eventual death of inoculated plants. The severity of both rot and mold symptoms differed among the test plants.

Keywords: Root rot, mold, fungal organisms, solanaceae, aspergillus, host range