Fungi Associated with Storage Rots of Colocasia esculenta L. Tubers in Bhubaneswar City, Odisha
Akhtari Khatoon
Department of Botany, Utkal University, Vani Vihar, Bhubaneswar-751004, Odisha, India
Ashirbad Mohapatra
Sri Jayadev College of Education and Technology, Naharkanta, Bhubaneswar-752101, Odisha, India
Kunja Bihari Satapathy *
Department of Botany, Utkal University, Vani Vihar, Bhubaneswar-751004, Odisha, India
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
A survey of fungi associated with post-harvest deterioration of Colocasia esculenta L. tubers was conducted in Bhubaneswar city, Odisha, India, in 2014-15. Rotten Colocasia esculenta L. tubers collected from five different markets: Unit-I market, Sahid Nagar, V.S.S. Nagar, Palasuni and Rasulgarh market located in Bhubaneswar city. The following fungi; Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Geotrichum candidum, Rhizopus oryzae were isolated from rotten tubers. Of these, Rhizopus oryzae and Geotrichum candidumhas highest percentage frequency of occurrence followed by Aspergillus niger while Aspergillus flavus has the least percentage frequency. Pathogenicity tests revealed that all the isolated fungi were pathogenic on Colocasia esculenta L. tubers; however Rhizopus oryzae and Aspergillus flavus were most pathogenic leading to rapid disintegration of the infected tubers within 20 days of inoculation. While Aspegillus nigerwas the least pathogenic. The use of improved Colocasia esculenta L. varieties, good storage facilities and adequate control measures need to be encouraged in order to reduce storage rot of Colocasia esculenta L. tubers.
Keywords: Taro tubers, fungi, storage rots, post-harvest losses, markets