Occurrence of Anthracnose Disease of Turkey Berry (Solanum torvum) at Bunso, Eastern Region, Ghana

Aims: To identify the causal agent of anthracnose disease of Solanum torvum, determine whether the pathogen is seedborne and also to ascertain the cross infection potential of the pathogen on other Solanaceous crops of economic importance.

Place and Duration of Study: Bunso, in the East Akim District of the Eastern Region of Ghana, between January and October, 2017.

Methodology: The disease symptoms on matured fruits, leaves, stems and flowers of Solanum torvum were carefully observed for documentation with magnifying glasses and the naked eyes. The pathogen was isolated on PDA after incubation for five days and the identification was based on the colony, morphology and conidial characteristics with reference to laboratory manuals. The virulence of the fungal isolates from the S. torvum fruits was determined through pathogenicity tests. A seed health test was conducted in accordance with the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) to determine whether the pathogen is seedborne. Conidial suspension of Colletotrichum acutatum (1×103 per ml) was used to inoculate pepper and eggplant fruits in a cross infectivity test.

Results: Colletotrichum acutatum was repeatedly isolated and identified as the causal agent of the disease on the fruits and was also seedborne. In cross infectivity studies, the pathogen produced characteristic anthracnose symptoms on both eggplant and pepper which happens to belong to the same Solanaceae family just as the turkey berry.

Conclusion: The anthracnose disease of Solanum torvum at Bunso, in the Eastern Region of Ghana is caused by Colletotrichum acutatum that has the potential to cross infect other Solanaceous species. This study is the first scientific report of the occurrence of anthracnose disease of S. torvum in Ghana.