Post-harvest menace of Lasiodiplodia theobromae on Kola nut (Cola spp.) in Nigeria

Abstract

Kola nut is the fruit of a perennial plant called cola that belong to the family of Malvaceae. It is a lowland tropical crop fruit produced from September to January and June to July. Harvesting is done by plucking ripe pod from the trees with the aid of go-to-hell. Disease incidence during storage is a major post-harvest problem that farmers and Kola nut traders seek to solve. The major post-harvest pathogens in West Africa for the nut are Lasiodiplodia theobromae and it is considered a serious problem in agriculture since it causes a fast spread of the disease due to its wide range of unspecialized hosts.The problem posed by L. theobromae in storage is detrimental to the little production often achieved by kolanut farmers. Biological control using natural plant products presents a viable alternative in controlling plant diseases. The use of plants bio-extracts and organic control to reduce disease incidence of Kola nut storage disease would be seen as a practical solution to the problem encountered by kola farmers and traders during storage of nuts.