Journal of Applied Biosciences (J. Appl. Biosci.) [ISSN 1997 - 5902]
Volume 79: 6873 - 6877 Published July 31, 2014
First report of
Lasiodiplodia theobromae (Pat.) Griffon & Maubl causing root rot
and collar rot disease of Jatropha curcas L. in Benin
1Appolinaire Adandonon; 2Binjamin Datinon, 3Hugues Baimey and 2Joelle Toffa *1School of Crop and Seed Production and Management (EGPVS), University of Agriculture of Ketou (UAK), 08 BP 1055 Cotonou, Rep. Benin; email: adanappo@yahoo.fr
2International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, 08 BP 0932, Cotonou, Rep. Benin
3National Higher School of Agricultural and technical Sciences of Djougou (ENSTA – Djougou), University of Parakou, Parakou, Rep. Benin.
*Corresponding author email: adanappo@yahoo.fr
Original submitted in on 20th December 2013. Published online at www.m.elewa.org on 31st July 2014. http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/jab.v79i1.2
ABSTRACT
Objective:
Jatropha curcas L. is an important biofuel crop grown worldwide. In
Benin, however, the plant is attacked by rot diseases resulting in
rotting, wilting, yellowing, dropping of leaves, blackening, decaying
of affected areas and later death of the plant. The objective of the
current study was to identify the causal agents of the disease.
Methodology and results: Diseased samples were collected from field, surface sterilized and plated on PDA medium. Pure cultures were observed on plate and under microscope. Lasiodiplodia theobromae was consistently isolated from diseased plants collected from the field. Inoculation of L. theobromae to 1-year-old jatropha plants resulted in typical symptoms of the disease, confirming the fungus pathogenicity on Jatropha.
Conclusion and application of results: As conclusion, of L. theobromae is the causal agent of the disease and this is the first report of L. theobromae causing rot diseases on J. curcas in the Republic of Benin. Identification of the pathogen of the disease is of paramount importance and the direct application is that this causal agent identification will be taken into account for adequate control programme of the disease in Benin.
Methodology and results: Diseased samples were collected from field, surface sterilized and plated on PDA medium. Pure cultures were observed on plate and under microscope. Lasiodiplodia theobromae was consistently isolated from diseased plants collected from the field. Inoculation of L. theobromae to 1-year-old jatropha plants resulted in typical symptoms of the disease, confirming the fungus pathogenicity on Jatropha.
Conclusion and application of results: As conclusion, of L. theobromae is the causal agent of the disease and this is the first report of L. theobromae causing rot diseases on J. curcas in the Republic of Benin. Identification of the pathogen of the disease is of paramount importance and the direct application is that this causal agent identification will be taken into account for adequate control programme of the disease in Benin.
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