Root Rot Disease of Five Fruit Tree Seedlings in the Nursery

Abstract

The incidence of root rot disease in the nursery of Chrysophyllum albidun Dacryodes edulis, persea Americana, Irvingia gabonensis and Annona muricala was assessed. Ten fungal pathogen were isolated using serial dilution and pathogenicity tests were carried out on the 5 fruit trees with the 10 isolated fungi. The 5 fruit tree seedlings were then potted in polypots filled with forest soil. The disease organisms were confirmed by Koch’s postulates. The experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design replicated three times. Fusarium oxysporum and Aspergillus flavus were implicated as the causal agent of root rot in the 5 fruit trees. The percentage incidences were 39%, 25%, 20%, 9% and 10% for A. muricata, I. gabonesis, P. Americana, D. edulis and C. albidum respectively. The results provide baseline data for management of root rot disease in fruit trees at the nursery.
Keywords: root rot disease, fruit tree, seedlings, nurseryion

Journal of Agriculture and Social Research (JASR) Vol. 11, No. 1, 2011