IIARD International Institute of Academic Research and Development

JOURNAL OF BIOLOGY AND GENETIC RESEARCH (JBGR )

E-ISSN 2545-5710
P-ISSN 2695-222X
VOL. 8 NO. 1 2022

---

The Potency of Oilpalm-Pressed Fibre (OPPF) Against Fungal Pathogens Associated with Various Handling Wounds on Yam (Dioscorearotundata Poir)

Nmom, F. W. and Agbagwa, S.S. and Israel, D. S

---

Abstract

Yam (Dioscorea rotundata Poir) is a staple food in Nigeria and Africa, providing about 200cal per capita. Its production is limited by many factors. Of utmost concern, is the various handling wounds on the yam tubers that create entry points for pathogenic rot fungi. This study intended to use oil palm – pressed fibre (OPPF) as a biocide to treat the wounded tubers. The completely randomised design was adopted and treatments replicate to obtain mean percentages of weight loss. There was no fungal contamination recorded and no weight loss of the tubers. However, from days 8 and >8, six fungal pathogens were isolated and these included; Aspergillus, spp, Penicillium spp, Botrydioplodia theobromae, Fusarium moniliforme, Sclerotium rolfsii, and Rhizopus stolonifer. Similarly, the untreated (control) wounded samples also harboured same six fungal species of those recorded above, few days after incubation and weight losses of 2.09%, 3.70%, 4.19%, 6.66%, 11.97%, and 13.9% were recorded from the untreated samples. The presence of the fungal rot pathogens on the various wounded surfaces affected the viability of the tubers and caused weight losses. Highest % weight losses of 64.69% was recorded for B. theobromae, Penicillium spp and Sclerotium rolfsii, while lowest weight loss was recorded for Aspergillus spp at 45.5% and 49.87 on days 20 and >20 respectively. The results showed that treatment with OPPF controlled the fungal contamination on the wounded surfaces, especially on short term. Based on the findings of this study, we recommend OPPF as a biocide to treat various handling wounds of yam tubers and the subsequent preservation from pathogenic fungal rots.

keywords:

Yam, Handling wounds, OPPF, Biocide, Control, Weight loss, Pathogenic rot fungi

---

References:

Adams, R. P. (2001). Identification of essential oil components by gas chromatography
mass spectroscopy. Unions Altered Publications Corporation.

Ahmad, A., Khan, A., Yousuf, S., Khan, L. A. and Manzoor, N. (2010). Proton
tranlocating Atpases – mediated fungicidal activity of eugenol and thymol.
Fitoterapia 81 (8): 1157 – 1162.

Amusa, N. A., Adegbite, A. A., Muhammed, S. and Baiyewu, R. A. (2003). Arican
Journal of Biotechnology, Vol. 2 (12), 497 – 502.

Barnett, H. L. and Hunter, B. B. (1972). Illustrated genera of Imperfecti Fungi.
Minneapolis. Burgess Publications Company. 82 – 241.

Biggs, A. R. (1985). Suberized boundary zones and the chronology of wound responses in
tree bark. Phytopathology, 75: 1191 – 1195.

Christipher, D., Ikedioi, R. C. and Agqu, I. U. (1989). Biochemical aspects of wound-
healing in yam (D. spp). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 48(2):
131 – 139.

Ecobar-Sanchez, M. I., Sanchez-Sanchez, L., Scandoval-Ramirez (2016). Storage of
tropical roots, tubers and corns to reduce the post-harvest loss. The Post-Harvest
Edu Foundation (PEF) White Paper, Ltd.: 18 – 20.

Elenwo, E. N. (2009). Control of fungal rot associated with various handling wounds on
yam and cocoyam. Nigerian Journal of Plant Protection, 23: 138 – 145.

Elenwo, E. N. and Yubedee, A. G. (1999). The role of different types of handling wounds
on the deteroriation of yam and cocoyam in storage. Nigerian Journal of Botany,
122: 145 – 149.

Ezeike, G. O. I. (1981). Effects of curing and humidity on the storage stability of yams (D.
spp). NIJOTech. 5, 1.

Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), (2008).

Food and Agricultural Organization, (FAO, 2011).

Iloba, C. (1996). Fungi as causal agents in yam deterioration. AfricanJournal of Root and
tuber crops, 1: 39.

Jude, E. Obidiegwu, Jessica, B. Lyons and Cynthia A. Chilaka (2020). The Dioscorea
Genus (Yam) – An appraisal of nutritional and therapeutic potentials: A review.
Foods, MDPI.

Karaman, S., Digrak, M., David, U., Ikim, A. (2001). Antibacterial and antifungal activity
of essential oils of Thymus revolutus Celak from Turkeg. Journal of
Ethnopharmacol, 76 (2): 183 – 188.

Kumar, A., Shukla, R. Suigh, P., Shekhar Prasad, C. U., Kishore, D. N. (2008).
Assessment of Thymus vularis L: essential oil as a safe botanical preservative
against post harvest fungal infestation of food commodities. Innov. Food Sci.
Emerg. Technology, 9(4): 575 – 580.

Nmom, F. W. and Ajuru, M. G. (2020). Plant bioactive chemicals for antifungal and
biofungicidal potencies. A review. Ijaar-Ste 6 (12): 2488.

Numpaque, M. A. Oviedo, L. A., Gil, J. H., Garcia, C. M. and Durango, D. L. (2011).
Thymol and carvacrol: biotransformation and antifungal activity against the plant
pathogenic fungi, Colletotrichumacutatum and Botrydiophodia theobromae. Trop
Plant Pathol., 36: 3 – 13.

Ogali, E. L. Opadokun, J. A. and Okobi, A. O. (1991). Effect of lime and local gun on post
harvest rot of yams. Trop. Sci. 31: 105 – 107

Ogundana, S. K. and Dennies, C. (1981). Assessment of fungicides for the prevention of
storage rot of yams. Pesticide Science, 12: 491 – 494.

Okigbo, R. N. and Emeka, A. N. (2010). Biological control of rot-inducing fungi of water
yam (D. alata) with Tridioderma harzanum, Pseudomonas syrungae and P.
chlororaphes. J. Stored Prod. Postharvest

Okigbo, R. N. and Nmeka, I. A. (2005). Control of yam tuber rot with leaf extract of
Xylopia aethiopica and Zingiber officinale. African Journal of Biotechnology, 4(8):
804 – 807.

Osunde, Z. D. and Orhevba, B. A. (2009). Effects of storage conditions and storage period
on nutritional and other qualities of stored yam (Discorea spp) tubers. AJFAND, 9,
(2): 678 – 690.

Passam, H. C., Read, S. J. and Richard, J. E. (1976b). Processes during repairs. New
Physiol. 77: 325 – 331.

Paul-Victor, C., Sara, D. V., Federica, S., Siegfried Fink, Thomas, S., Veronique, M. and

Olga S. (2017). Effect of Mechanical damage and wound healing on the
viscoelastic properties of stems of flasc cultivars (Linum Usitatissimum, L. C. V.,
Eden and C. V. Drakkar) PLOS ONE

Sarah, K. L., Jakob, S. and Terri R. (2016). The number, size and distribution of farmers,
small holder and family farms worldwide. World development
http://dx.doi.org//o.1016/J.worldev.2015.

Segic, K. M., Kosalec, I., Mastelic, J., Pieckova, E. and Pepelinaks, S. (2007). Antifungal
activity of thyme (Thymes vulgarise L.) essential oil and thymol against molds
from damp dwellings. Lett. Appl. Microbiol. 44(1): 36 – 42.

Shirin, M. and Golam, H. S. B. (2012). Fulfilment of Koch’s postulates for invitro
pathogenicity of Musicillium theobromae (Turconi) zare and W. Gams as the cause
of Banana cigar end rot disease. Journal of Plant Protection Res., 52, (4): 410 –
414.

Torte, C., Dowuona, S., Dziedzoave, N. T. and Rees, D. (2014). Effect of curing
treatments on seven key farmers’ yams (Dioscorea spp) in Ghana. Agricultural
Sciecnes,5: 1119 – 1128.

Zambonelli, A. D., Aulerio, A. Z., Severi, A., Benventi, A. S. Magg, L. and Biandii, A.
(2004). Chemical composition and fungicidal activity of commercial essential oils
of Thymus vulgaris L. Journal of Essential Oil Resources, 16 (1): 69 – 74

DOWNLOAD PDF

---

Back