Exploration of Fungal Pathogens Associated with Post Harvest Diseases of Guava in Prayagraj, India

Abstract

Guava (Psidium guajava L.) is a climacteric fruit belonging to the family Myrtaceae. Guava’s perishability makes it vulnerable to various diseases from root to crown, with fungal pathogens being a major cause of significant loss of production during storage and transit. An experiment was conducted to identify the fungal pathogens causing post-harvest diseases. Total 70 diseased guava samples (5 fruits from each location) were collected from various fruit markets in Prayagraj, U.P. These samples were then taken to the laboratory of the Department of Plant Pathology at the Naini Agricultural Institute, SHUATS, Prayagraj for the purpose of isolation and identification of the pathogens. The study revealed the presence of ten fungal pathogens responsible for post-harvest diseases viz., Pestalotia psidii (37.14%), Curvularia sp. (15.71%), Alternaria sp. (11.42%), Penicillium sp. (8.57%), Colletotrichum sp. (7.14%), Fusarium sp. (7.14%), Aspergillus sp. (5.71%), Rhizopus sp. (2.85%), Rhizoctonia sp. (2.85%), and Verticillium sp. (2.58%).