Soft rot of Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) by Rhizopus artocarpi (Berk. & Broome) Boedijn, in Andhra Pradesh, India.

Abstract

Jack fruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) is most widely cultivated in Andhra Pradesh, india. It has high nutritional values, medicinal values, rich phytochemical compositions, minerals etc. Such crop plants are infected by soft rot causing fungi by Rhizopus artocarpi (Berk. & Broome) Boedijn, in Andhra pradesh, India. The flowers and fruits are severally damaged by soft rot fungi. So this soft rot fungus was isolated from fruits and identified as R. artocarpi (Berk. & Broome) Boedijn. The soft rot fungus is grown on PDA medium and cultural characters are studied. The antifungal test is done by using fungal extracts from Phelinus noxius and Ganoderma lucidum and leaf extract Prosopis juliflora (Sw.) DC. In early stage of infection, Rhizopus spores deposit on moist fruit surface, get germinates and mycelia grow into the tissues of fruit. The infection produces a layer of black spores on the fruit surface. The fruit becomes soft, watery and brown spots develop on the fruit. In culture on PDA medium it is heavily growing and spreading. It produces sporangia with spores, and then it becomes brownish black with maturity of fungal colony. For biocontrol of soft rot fungi, 20% methanolic extract is more effective than 5, 10, and 15% concentrations. The methanolic extract showed 100% inhibition of both soft rot fungi when compared to water extract. For the first time fungal extracts were used to control the soft rot fungus causing disease in Jackfruits.