Isolation and Identification of the Causal Agent of basal Rot in Fruits of Pitahaya (selenicereus megalanthus) Cultivated in the Department of Huila

Abstract

The cultivation of yellow pitahaya (selenicereus megalanthus) has a great commercial importance in the department of Huila due to the significant economic contribution it provides to productive families in the region. However, the loss of fruits in the crop reaches 30% of the total production due to the presence of phytopathogenic fungi
that attack the basal part of the fruit, becoming a high risk factor for the development
of the crop. In the present investigation, the peel, pulp and seeds of the fruit of the
pitahaya grown in the municipality of Pitalito, Huila, were analyzed to identify the
phytopathogenic fungus that affects the physicochemical quality of the fruits during
their physiological development in the plant. A fungus belonging to the genus Fusarium
was isolated and morphologically identified, based on the Barnett and Hunter keys.
The structural analysis showed that the isolated species was F. oxysporum, the causative agent of basal rot and loss of sensory quality. The presence of the fungus was detected in the peel and pulp, ruling out the possibility of using the fruit in the
preparation of food-type products, however the presence of the pathogen was not found in the seeds. The results of the research offer the possibility of adopting control measures, biological control and treatment of the diseases present in the yellow pitahaya crop, to minimize the loss of fruits and to be able to offer more and better products to the national and international market.