Morphological Diversity of Fungal Strains Responsible for Dessert Banana Rot, Musa Sapientum (Musaceae) Produced in the South Comoe Region on Ivory Coast

Aims: The banana dessert grown in different regions of the world, encounters important difficulties that cause it to lose its marketability especially because of the diseases related to conservation. The objective here is to identify the strains responsible for fungal diseases of bananas when it is stored. Study Design:  This study was undertaken in order to ensure the competitiveness of the dessert banana from Ivory Coast on the international market which is threatened by the recurrent problem of post-harvest rot. Place and Duration of Study: Agrovalorisation Laboratory, Agroforestry Training and Research Unit, Université Jean Lorougnon GUEDE Daloa Côte d'Ivoire, between February 2021 and March 2022. Methodology: The study involved 120 bananas divided into two batches of 10 hands each, one with signs of necrosis and the other with no signs. Banana fragments (crown, epicarp and explant) were deposited on the growing media at several distinct points and slightly embedded in the agar. The resulting colonies were transplanted successively until a pure strain was obtained from a single mushroom colony per petri dish. Results: A total of 11 different genera were identified from 105 isolates. 57 are from necrotic bananas and 36 from bananas with no signs of necrosis. Fungal strains isolated there are: Trichoderma sp. (15%), Fusarium sp. (1%), Scytalidium sp. (39%), Mucor sp. (1%), Scopulariopsis sp. (1%), Alternaria sp. (4%), Aureobasidium sp. (1%), Aspergillus of the Glaucus group (10%), Cladosporium sp. (2%), Pseudallescheria sp. (6%) and Chrysosporium sp. (20%). No strains of the genus Colletotrichum musea responsible for anthracnose that can develop on both green and ripe fruit have been isolated. However, morphological characterization has not among to identify several other species (12) especially those not sporulating. Conclusion: This diversity of isolated strains in this work is identical to that most frequently isolated and cited in the literature.