Fungal diseases of papaya in côte d'ivoire: incidence and distribution

In Côte d'Ivoire, the papaya crop is threatened by fungal pathogens. The etiology, the incidence and the distribution of these fungal diseases have not yet been elucidated. The objective of this study is to generate scientific data to sustainably control fungal diseases of papaya in Côte d'Ivoire. To this end, an inventory of fungal diseases of papaya and responsible agents has been carried out in several production areas in Côte d'Ivoire. Pathogenicity tests have verified the involvement of the agents responsible for the manifestation of the observed symptoms. Several isolates of four fungal species were obtained from fruit and root samples showing symptoms. It is Phytophthora palmivora, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (agent responsible for anthracnose), of Fusarium sp. and of Pythium aphanidermatum. These fungi reproduced the same symptoms by soft or sudden inoculation on fruits and papaya’s roots. The first three species had an average incidence of 32.5 % for severity 3 (on a scale of 1 to 5) in the region of Grands ponts (Great Bridges), Agnéby-Tiassa, Indénié-Djuablin, Gbokle regions. In other localities, no symptoms of fungal diseases was observed.