Isolation and Identification of Fungi Causing Decay in Pepper (Capsicum spp) from Selected Markets in Makurdi

Isolation and identification of fungi causing decay in pepper fruits from four markets in Makurdi, Benue state, Nigeria namely Northbank, Wurukum, High level and Wadata was carried out. Samples were collected in polythene envelopes and taken to the laboratory for fungal isolation. They were surfaced sterilized in 5% NaOCl solution for 1 minute, rinsed in several changes of sterile distilled water and plated on Potato Dextrose Agar in Petri dishes. After 5-7 days of growth, subculturing was done to obtain pure cultures. Identification of the isolates was made macroscopically and microscopically. Colony characteristics such as appearance, change in medium colour and growth rate were observed. Shapes of the conidia and conidiophores were also taken note of. Five fungi, namely Aspergillus niger, Fusarium moniliforme, Fusarium oxysporum, Colletotrichum asianum and Bipolaris zeicola were isolated with 31.52%, 29.76%, 5.93%, 20.68% and 12.11% as their percentage occurrence respectively. Pathogenicity of isolates ranged from 4 - 5 respectively which indicated 61-100% of decay. The presence of these fungi in pepper could lead to severe health implications when consumed.