African Journal of
Biotechnology

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Biotechnol.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1684-5315
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJB
  • Start Year: 2002
  • Published Articles: 12474

Full Length Research Paper

Fungi associated with base rot disease of aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis)

  S.M. Ayodele1* and E. M. Ilondu2
1Department of Biological Sciences, Kogi State University, Anyigba, Kogi State, Nigeria.   2Department of Botany, Delta State University, Abraka, Delta State, Nigeria  
Email: [email protected]

  •  Accepted: 20 October 2008
  •  Published: 17 December 2008

Abstract

 

 

Fungi associated with base rot disease of Aloe vera (syn. Aloe barbadensis) were investigated in Niger Delta Area of Nigeria. Fungi and their percentage frequency wereAspergillus verocosa 28.03%, Fusarium oxysporium 24.24%, Plectosphaerella cucumerina 16.67%Mammeria ehinobotryoides 15.91% and Torula herbarium15.15%. None of the fungi isolated have been previously reported on Aloe vera in Nigeria. In pathogenicity tests, the fungi isolated produced a variety of symptoms ranging from slowly progressive to rapidly progressive lesions leading to complete disintegration of the leaf bases of A. vera plants ten days after inoculation. P. cucumerina was the most aggressive rot –inducer which showed full base rot disease after 6 days of inoculation.

 

Key words: Fungi, base rot, Aloe vera.