PHYSICOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF Fusarium moniliforme ISOLATED FROM INFECTED MAIZE PLANTS FROM FAISALABAD, PAKISTAN
MUHAMMAD KASHIF
Department of Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
MUHAMMAD ATIQ *
Department of Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
NASIR AHMED RAJPUT
Department of Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
SHAHBAZ TALIB SAHI
Department of Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
FAHAD YAQOOB
Department of Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan .
MARIAM ASHRAF
Department of Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
TAHREEM FATIMA
Department of Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
AQSA GHAFFAR
Department of Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
TAHREEM AIMEN
Department of Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
HAMZA TARIQ
Department of Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Maize (Zea mays L) is a parsimoniously important cereal crop after wheat and rice because it is rich in carbohydrates, protein, fiber, sugar, and ash, and oil that’s used as human food and the crop is used as animal feed too. The stalk rot of maize caused by Fusarium moniliforme (Fm) is one of the most important emerging threats to the successful production of maize in Pakistan. In this study the physicochemical characterization of Fm was done. Diseased samples of maize were collected from Faisalabad regions. Pathogen was isolated from the infected maize plant. In physiological test different pH levels (8.5, 7.5, 6.5 and 4) were evaluated and the highest fungal growth was observed at pH 7.5 (14.50mm), and the effect of different temperature (23, 28, 33, and 38) were also assessed. At 28°C temperature (38.42mm) the highest growth was observed. Different carbon sources (glucose, sucrose, dextrose, and maltose) versus were assessed. Glucose as a carbon source showed the highest fungal growth (11.62mm). Nitrogen sources such as urea, Ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3), and potassium nitrate (KNO3) were assessed, and urea showed the highest fungal growth (34.86mm). Fm was characterized by using biochemical tests such as cellulose hydrolysis, urease activity, β-glucosidase activity, phosphate, and polyphenol oxidases activity. All these biochemical showed the positive results except urease activity test. All the experiments were conducted under lab conditions by using Randomized Complete Block Design (CRBD). To observe the difference in response of treatments, least significant difference (LSD) was used at 0.05 % probability level.
Keywords: Randomized complete block design, animal feed, Fusarium moniliforme, cellulose hydrolysis