Mycological evaluation of the phylloplane of <i>Vigna unguiculata</i> (L.) Walp

Abstract

Cowpea a leguminous crop consumed by millions of people in Asia and sub-Sahara Africa often faces pre- and postharvest attack like fungal infection. Twelve cultivars of Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp obtained from International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Ibadan, Nigeria were investigated for fungal infection using pour plate technique and eleven fungal isolates were obtained from nine of the cultivars. Pathogenicity of Fusarium oxysporium (cultivars IT8ID-994, IT98K-452-1); Alternaria alternata (cultivars IT98k-205-8, TVX3236, IT845-2246- 4); Colletotrichum truncatum (cultivars IT86D-719, Ife brown, (IA4B45)244, IT90k-277-2) and Sclerotium rolfsii (cultivars Ife brown, (IA4B45)244, IT845-2246-4) was confirmed on these nine cultivars of cowpea showing varying percentage of disease occurrence. The incessant attack on cowpea plant both on the field and in storage calls for more research in the area of disease resistant varieties for the ever growing population.

Keywords: Vigna unguiculata, phylloplane, pathogenicity, fungal infection