ABSTRACT

Fungal phyto-pathogen of pineapple plants were investigated. Fungal isolates from pre-harvest and post-harvest of pineapple plants were characterized and identified. Those isolated from the post-harvest periods were characterized and identified as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Saccharomyces fragilis, Debaroyomyces spp, Geotricum candidium, Fusarium spp, Aspergillus glaucus, Saccharomyces roiixii and Pichia species.Saccharomyces cerevisiae had the highest rate of occurrence among the isolated fungi,followed by Saccharomyces roiixii, Saccharomyces fragilis, Pichia spp, Geotricum candidium, while Debaroyomyces spp, Aspergillus glaucus and Fusarium spp were the least predominant. While in the pre-harvest fruits no organisms were isolated and identified, but the remarkable observation was that when re-inoculated with the isolates from the spoilt pineapple fruits into which they were incubated at 28oc for 7 days, it was found that the same organisms found in the post-harvest pineapple fruits were responsible for the spoilage of the fruits. The increase load were found to be more in the pre-harvest fruits when reisolated. The microbial load difference between the pre-harvest fruits and post-harvest fruits sample went from 1.6x104 to 8.6x105( cfu/g).The result of the pathogenicity test revealed that Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Geotricum candidium and Aspergillus glaucus, indicating that the organisms were responsible for the spoilage of the fruits.Fusarium spp and Aspergillus glaucus were the multicellular mould while S. cerevisiae, S. roiixii, S. fragilis, Debaroyomyces spp, Geotricum candidium, and Pichia species were the unicellular once.