Jour Pl Sci Res 30 (1) 91-93 2014

Effect of Temperature, Relative Humidity and pH on Mycelial Growth and

Sporulation of Fusarium pallidoroseum Causing Fruit Rot of Kachari (Cucumis
callosus)

Rekha Kumawat , R.G.Jat and R.P. Ghasolia

Department of Plant Pathology, S.K.N. College of Agriculture, Jobner 303329 (Jaipur), India

E-mail: rekha kumawat25@gmail.com

Kachari (Cucumis callosus), having English name cucumber pubacent is a warm season annual crop
which grown as wild or cultivated at a large scale with bajra, moth, moong and guar in arid and semi
arid regions of Rajasthan. It requires 250C temperature for seed germination and 30-350C for growth
and development. During survey, kachari fruits were found infected with Fusarium rot caused by
Fusarium pallidoroseum causing severe damage at maturity stage both in quantitatively and qualitatively
in the field of Jobner vicinity during Kharif season 2009. The effect of different levels of temperature
(15, 20, 25, 30 and 350C), relative humidity (60, 70, 80, 90 and 100 percent) and pH (5.5, 6.0, 6.5, 7.0,
7.5, 8.0 and 8.5) on growth and sporulation of the pathogen were tested in vitro conditions. Maximum
mycelial growth and sporulation were found at 250C temperature (85.30 mm), 100 per cent relative
humidity (89.15 mm) and maximum dry mycelial weight at 6.5 pH (275g).
Key words: Temperature, Relative humidity, pH, Mycelial growth, Sporulation Fusarium pallidoroseum

INTRODUCTION completely randomized design with four replications

Kachari, having english name cucumber pubacent
(Cucumis callosus) is a warm season annual crop
which belongs to family Cucurbitaceae and grown as
wild or cultivated crop at a large scale with bajra,
moong, moth, guar and other vegetable crops in arid
and semi arid regions of Rajasthan during summer and
mainly in rainy season. This crop is grown for fruits
which are eaten as fresh as well as cooked. Kachari
supply fairly good amount of carbohydrates, proteins,
minerals, moisture and also rich in vitamin B and C
with medicinal value (Samadiya, 2007). Kachari fruits
at maturity stage were found infected with Fusarium
rot caused by Fusarium pallidoroseum causing se-
vere damage both in quantitatively and qualitatively in
nearby fields and vegetable markets of Jobner vicinity
surveyed during Kharif season 2009. The optimum
temperature, relative humidity and pH play a vital role
in development of this fruit rot. The present study was
undertaken and their results are reported here.
to see the effect of different levels of temperature,
relative humidity and pH on myclial growth and
sporulation of Fusarium pollidoroseum in vitro.
Effect of temperature
Effect of temperature on mycelial growth and
sporulation of Fusarium pallidoroseum was studied
in vitro. Petriplates containing 20 ml of sterilized PDA
medium were inoculated with 2 mm disc of 7 days old
culture of Fusarium pallidoroseum with the help of
sterilized cork borer and incubated at 5 different levels
of temperature viz., 15, 20, 25, 30 and 350C for 10
days. Observations on mycelial growth and sporulation
were recorded after 10 days of incubation. The
average spore production was categorized as fair =
10x1-7 spores, good= 10 x8-25 spores, very good = 10 x26-50
spores
and excellent = 10 x >50 spores as formulae suggested
by Pandey and Vishwakarma (1998) with slight
modification.
Effect of relative humidity

MATERIALS AND METHODS To study the effect of relative humidity on mycelial

growth and sporulation of Fusarium pallidoroseum,
The experiments were conducted in the year 2009 in five different levels of relative humidity i.e. 60, 70, 80,
92 Rekha Kumawat, R.G. Jat and R.P. Ghasolia

90 and 100 per cent were maintained by using the Table 1: Effect of temperature on the mycelial growth and
sporulation of Fusarium pallidoroseum after 10 days of
concentrate sulphuric acid and sterilized distilled water
incubation in vitro
in different proportions in glass desiccators as per the
method suggested by Buxton and Mellanby (1934). S.No. Temperature Mycelial Sporulation*
(0C) growth (mm)*
Petriplates containing PDA medium were inoculated
with 2 mm disc of 7 days old culture of Fusarium 1 15 30.75 +
pallidoroseum with the help of sterilized cork borer. 2 20 65.50 ++
Inoculated Petriplates were immediately 3 25 85.30 ++++
accommodated in glass desiccators containing mixture 4 30 76.75 +++
of sulphuric acid and distilled water in required 5 35 48.00 +
proportion and incubated at 25 + 10C for 10 days.
SEm+ 1.69
Observations on mycelial growth and sporulation were CD at 5% 5.22
recorded after 10 days of incubation.
* Average of four replications
Effect of hydrogen ion concentration ++++ Excellent sporulation
+++ Very good sporulation
The effect of hydrogen ion concentration on the mycelial ++ Good sporulation
growth and sporulation of Fusarium pallidoroseum + Fair sporulation
was determined by adjusting the pH of broth medium
at 5.5, 6.0, 6.5, 7.0, 7.5, 8.0 and 8.5 by using citrate
Effect of relative humidity
phosphate buffer (Singh et al., 2005) before sterilization
with the help of pH meter. Aliquote of 20 ml medium Studies on different levels of humidity (Table 2)
were dispensed in 100 ml conical flask and autoclaved revealed that 100 per cent relative humidity supported
at 1.045 kg/cm2 for 20 minutes. Inoculation was made maximum mycelial growth (89.15 mm) and found at
with 2 mm disc of mycelial mat obtained from 7 days par with 90 per cent after 10 days of incubation. A
old culture and incubated at 25+ 10C for 10 days. significantly decrease in mycelial growth and
Observations on dry mycelial weight and sporulation sporulation was observed at 80 to 70 per cent relative
were recorded after 10 days of incubation.
Table 2: Effect of relative humidity on the mycelial growth
and sporulation of Fusarium pallidoroseum after 10 days of
RESULT AND DISCUSSION incubation at 25 + 10C in vitro

Effect of temperature S.No. Relative Mycelial Sporulation*

humidity (%) growth (mm)*
A perusal of data (Table 1) revealed that the fungus
grew at all the levels of temperature ranged from 150C 1 60 56.00 ++
to 350C, but it differed significantly at all the levels 2 70 75.25 ++
after 10 days of incubation. Maximum mycelial growth
3 80 80.75 +++
(85.30 mm) and sporulation of the fungus was observed
4 90 85.15 ++++
at 250C temperature after 10 days of incubation closely
related to the 300C (76.75 mm). A gradual decrease in 5 100 89.15 ++++
mycelial growth and sporulation was observed at 350C SEm+ 1.40
(48.00 mm). Minimum mycelial growth (30.75 mm) CD at 5% 4.28
and sporulation of the fungus was observed at 150C
* Average of four replications
after 10 days of incubation. Optimum temperature 250C ++++ Excellent sporulation
for growth and sporulation of Fusarium oxysporum +++ Very good sporulation
and F. solani was observed by Chatuarvedi et al., ++ Good sporulation
(2003).

The Journal of Plant Science Research

 Effect of Temperature, Relative Humidity and pH on Mycelial Growth and Sporulation
of Fusarium pallidoroseum Causing Fruit Rot of Kachari (Cucumis callosus) 93

humidity (80.75 mm and 75.25 mm). Minimum mycelial was observed at pH 6.5 and it was closely following
growth (56.00 mm) and sporulation was observed at by pH 7.0 (255 mg). The mycelium weight and
60 per cent relative humidity. Relative humidity form sporulation harvested from the potato dextrose broth
80-100 per cent favored the maximum Fusarium rot medium with pH 6.5 and 7.0 were significantly more
of sponge gourd fruits (Pokhar Rawal and Thakor, than other pH range tested. Minimum mycelium dry
2003). Maximum growth and sporulation of Fusarium weight (100 mg) and fair sporulation were observed at
oxysporum isolated from round gourd was reported pH 8.5. Pokhar Rawal and Thankar (2003) were also
excellent at 70 to 90 per cent relative humidity by Kore reported maximum mycelium growth and sporulation
and Kharwade (1987). of Fusarium solani at pH 6.5. It can be concluded
Effect of pH that high humidity favours the growth and sporulation
of the Fusarium pallidoroseum.
A perusal of data revealed that (Table 3) the fungus
grew on wide range of pH from 5.5 to 8.5. Maximum
REFERENCES
dry mycelium weight (275 mg) and excellent sporulation
Buxton P A and Mellanby K 1934 Bulletin of Entomology Research
Table 3 : Effect of pH on the mycelial growth and sporulation 25: 171-175.
of Fusarium pallidoroseum after 10 days of incubation at Chatuarvedi VC Gupta S Gupta R and Shukla DN 2003 Bioved
25 + 10C in vitro 14: 33-35.
S.No. pH Dry mycelial Sporulation* Kore SS and Kharwade LR 1987 Indian Phytopath. 40: 251.
weight (mg)*
Pandey KK and Vishwakarma SN 1998 Growth sporulation and
1 5.5 142 + colony characters of Alternaria alternata on different
vegetable based media J Myco P Patho 28 : 346-347.
2 6.0 210 ++
3 6.5 275 ++++ Pokhar Rawal and Thakore BBL 2003 J Myco P Patho 33: 15-20.

4 7.0 255 +++ Samadiya DK 2007 Hindi Bulletin 1-3

5 7.5 161 ++ Singh D Chhonkari PK and Dwivedi BS 2005 Manual on soil
6 8.0 112 + plant and water analysis Westville Publishing House
New Delhi pp. 23-25.
7 8.5 100 +
SEm+ 3.32
CD at 5% 10.22

* Average of four replications

++++ Excellent sporulation
+++ Very good sporulation 0-+-1
++ Good sporulation
+ Fair sporulation

Received :
Accepted :

The Journal of Plant Science Research