Research Article
Zakawa NN, Timon D, Yusuf CS,
Abstract
A study was carried out to evaluate the efficacy of A. indica crude/aqueous leaf extracts against post-harvest fungal rot pathogens of tomato fruit (in vivo). Samples of tomato fruits (108) were collected from three different markets in the study area (Kasuwa kuturu, Tsohon kasuwa and Sabon kasuwa) at random. The fungal pathogen isolated and identified were; R. stolonifer and A. niger and were confirmed through pathogenicity test to be pathogenic to tomato fruits. Tsohon kasuwa had the highest incidence (%) of rot with 22.2%, Sabon kasuwa had 16.7% and Kasuwa kuturu had 11.1%. in vivo control using A. indica yielded a positive result in both pathogens. There was significant difference between all the treatments with the extracts as compared with the control at probability level of P<0.005. Treatments with 60% crude extracts of A. indica gave the best results with 1.39 mm in A. niger and 1.43 mm in R. stolonifer as rot diameter. It was recommended that farmers of tomatoes should shorten the distance between harvesting and collection time to reduce chances of fruit exposure to the pathogens.