Effect of endophytic Fusarium oxysporum on paralysis and mortality of Pratylenchus goodeyi

Three bioassays were conducted to investigate the antagonistic effect of secondary metabolites produced by 5 endophytic Fusarium oxysporum isolates from banana (Musa spp.) plants in Kenya, against Pratylenchus goodeyi. Percentage paralyses were recorded 3, 6 and 24 h after exposure to culture filtrates. Percentage mortality was evaluated after 48 h. All isolates caused significantly higher percentage paralysis (17.5 - 25.9%) and percentage mortality (62.3 - 72.8%) of P. goodeyi motile stagescompared to the control (8.4 - 10.9% and 17.3 - 34.6%, respectively). Percentage paralysis of motile stages of P. goodeyi decreased as the length of time exposure to culture filtrates increased, while mortality increased as length of nematodes exposure to culture filtrates increased. Kenyan isolates performed equally as good as the Ugandan isolate (V5W2) in causing paralysis and mortality. Results from this study demonstrated that endophytic F. oxysporum antagonizes P. goodeyi through production of secondary metabolites

Effect of endophytic Fusarium oxysporum on paralysis and mortality of Pratylenchus goodeyi

Open Access JournalThree bioassays were conducted to investigate the antagonistic effect of secondary metabolites produced by 5 endophytic Fusarium oxysporum isolates from banana (Musa spp.) plants in Kenya, against Pratylenchus goodeyi. Percentage paralyses were recorded 3, 6 and 24 h after exposure to culture filtrates. Percentage mortality was evaluated after 48 h. All isolates caused significantly higher percentage paralysis (17.5 - 25.9%) and percentage mortality (62.3 - 72.8%) of P. goodeyi motile stages compared to the control (8.4 - 10.9% and 17.3 - 34.6%, respectively). Percentage paralysis of motile stages of P. goodeyi decreased as the length of time exposure to culture filtrates increased, while mortality increased as length of nematodes exposure to culture filtrates increased. Kenyan isolates performed equally as good as the Ugandan isolate (V5W2) in causing paralysis and mortality. Results from this study demonstrated that endophytic F. oxysporum antagonizes P. goodeyi through production of secondary metabolites

CAN AFRICAN INDIGENOUS VEGETABLES CONTRIBUTE TO NUTRITION SECURITY? A POLICY PERSPECTIVE

Kenya is classified as a food-deficit country. Approximately 20 percent of the population does not attain the minimum dietary requirements to sustain a healthy and productive life, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. African Indigenous Vegetables (AIVs) contain beneficial micro-nutrients and are critical for achieving nutrition security. This study used cross-sectional household survey data to test the plausibility of enhancing food access in the context of nutrition security, on the one hand, and the contribution of the AIVs to nutrition security, on the other hand. The results show that, the consumption of AIVs is not widely acknowledged or documented. Hhouseholds spend up to 15 times less money on AIVs when compared with exotic vegetables this is partly attributed to the perceptions that shape their tastes and preference. At a macro-level, the lack of consistent data makes the promotion of the importance of these vegetables to the policy makers a mundane task since it is difficult to demonstrate and authenticate the nutritional benefits that have been accrued by the consumption of these vegetables

Potential biological control of lesion nematodes on banana using Kenyan strains of endophytic Fusarium oxysporum

Published online: 22 August 2012.The root-lesion nematode Pratylenchus goodeyi is a common pest of banana in Kenya, which results in significant yield losses. An emerging option for the management of banana nematodes includes the use of endophytic fungi, which cause no damage to their hosts but often extend benefits, such as enhanced protection against various biotic and abiotic constraints. In the current study, non-pathogenic Fusarium oxysporum strains originating from banana (Musa spp.) in Kenya (4MOC321 and 11SR23) and Uganda (V5w2) were evaluated for their efficacy against P. goodeyi in tissue culture-derived plantlets (cv. Giant Cavendish and cv. Grand Nain) in pots. Pratylenchus goodeyi densities were 47-60% lower in endophyte-inoculated relative to non-inoculated plants and root necrosis damage was reduced by >30%. Endophyte treatment had no effect on plant growth parameters compared with untreated control plants. The performance of the two Kenyan strains was equally effective as the positive control (V5w2), thus demonstrating their potential as nematode bio-control agents under Kenyan growing conditions