AETIOLOGY OF FUNGAL PATHOGENS OF GARDEN EGG (SOLANUM MELONGENA L. JUSS) IN NSUKKA AREA

Post-harvest diseases of garden egg (Solanum melongena L.) were investigated in Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria. Fruits of a common local variety: Solanum melongena var. Esculentum showing symptoms of rots were collected from three local markets within Nsukka. Isolations made from diseased tissues were inoculated into potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) plates. Pure cultures were obtained by several aseptic transfers of colony growth from PDA plates to clean PDA plates. Identifications of isolated fungal pathogens were made based on cultural characteristics and microscopic examinations of the cultures. The results implicated three fungal species: Mucor sp., Rhizoctonia solani and Aspergillus niger. The pathogenicity of the isolated fungi was confirmed. The antifungal effect of extracts of Medicinal plants on these pathogens is still in progress.