PROJECT DEFENSE

STUDY OF COMMON TOMATOES FUNGAL

DISEASES WITHIN
GOMBE METROPOLIS

BY

HADIZA ADAMU
UG16/SCBS/1059

DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE,FACULTY OF

SCIENCE, GOMBE STATE UNIVERSITY

UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF Prof. Danladi M Umar

 INTRODUCTION
• Tomato comes from the kingdom Plantae. Family solanaceaea and
the genus solanum. Its botanical name is lycopersion exculentum.
The tomato belongs to the nightshade family. It has its origin in South
Africa where it was growing in the wild.
• Tomatoes are globally significant vegetable crops known for their
versatility, nutrition, and economic importance. In Gombe Metropolis
and many other regions, tomatoes are a vital part of diets and a
source of income for small-scale farmers.
• Today tomato has become an important and popular and industrial
commodity, ranking second in the global horticultural produce after
potato (Tan. et al., 2010) Tomatoes are a good source of ions, fibers
and dietary supplement. There are hundreds of tomatos varieties
with different colors when temperature falls too low or soar too high,
the tomato plant and fruit suffer. Ripe tomato need to be placed in an
area with temperature between 55 and 70 .
 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Tomato production in Gombe Metropolis is facing a significant
challenge due to the prevalence of fungal diseases, such as early
blight, late blight, and powdery mildew, which not only lead to
substantial yield losses but also compromise the quality and safety
of harvested tomatoes. These diseases not only affect the
availability of this essential dietary staple for the local population
but also exacerbate food insecurity. The urgency of addressing this
issue cannot be overstated, as it has significant economic losses for
farmers and could exacerbate food insecurity in the region. A
comprehensive study is needed to understand the dynamics of
these diseases, their prevalence across different seasons, and the
specific challenges faced by local farmers. This research aims to
provide data-driven insights, inform evidence-based solutions, and
contribute to sustainable tomato cultivation in the region,
safeguarding the livelihoods of farmers and the availability of this
vital food resource for the local population.
 AIM AND OBJECTIVES
AIM
to investigate fungal diseases affecting tomato production within
Gombe Metropolis and propose effective measures for their
management, with a focus on enhancing crop yield and food
security.bb
OBJECTIVES
• To determine the prevalent fungal diseases affecting tomato
crops in Gombe Metropolis through systematic field surveys and
laboratory analyses.
• To analyze the seasonal and spatial distribution of fungal
diseases, identifying trends and high-risk areas within Gombe
Metropolis.
• To quantify the economic and yield losses attributed to fungal
diseases, providing a clear understanding of their impact on local
agriculture.
 HYPOTHESIS
• Null Hypothesis (H0): There is no significant difference in the
prevalence of fungal diseases across different seasons in Gombe
Metropolis.
• Alternative Hypothesis (H1): There is a significant difference in
the prevalence of fungal diseases across different seasons in
Gombe Metropolis.
• Null Hypothesis (H0): Existing disease management strategies in
Gombe Metropolis are not effective in mitigating the impact of
fungal diseases on tomato crops.
• Alternative Hypothesis (H1): Existing disease management
strategies in Gombe Metropolis are effective in mitigating the
impact of fungal diseases on tomato crops.
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This study focuses on fungal diseases in tomato production within
Gombe Metropolis, spanning a specific time period to capture
seasonal variations.
 METHODOLOGY
STUDY AREA:
Surveys and data collection was conducted from
Gombe main market, Kasuwan Tare Bypass and old market Gombe state.
PROCESS:
 The samples were brought in to the laboratory in the department of
microbiology, Gombe state university immediately after collections and were
subjected to fungal analysis

 PREPARATION OF CULTURE MEDIA

The preparation of potato dextrose agar (PDA) for isolating fungi from spoiled
tomato fruits involved thEorough cleaning of materials, disinfecting the
environment with ethanol, and following the manufacturer's instructions. To
make the PDA medium, 39 grams of PDA powder was dissolved in 1000ml of
distilled water, and 0.5 grams of chloramphenicol was added to inhibit
bacterial growth. The mixture was sterilized in an autoclave at 121°C for 15
minutes and then cooled to around 45°C.
METHODOLOGY CONT…….
• INOCULATION:
The prepared culture media was poured in to the petri-dishes
and were allowed to solidify, and the disease portion were
picked using a swab stick. petri-dishes were arranged and
labeled based on the number of tomato samples to be analyzed.
• INCUBATION
The treated samples were incubated for 3 days at 35c for
complete growth of the fungi using incubation machine. The
dishes were placed in an inverted manner in to the incubation
machine
• IDENTIFICATION OF ISOLATE
The different fungi isolates were identified on the basis of their
colony characteristic, color, and reproductive structure after
examination under microscope.
 RESULTS
the result of this study revealed five species of fungi associated with
tomato fruits spoilage in kasuwan tare, old market, and main market
Gombe state. They include Aspergillus flavus,Aspergillus Niger,
Fusarium SPP, Rhizopus stolonifer, Penicillium SPP.,Aspergillus
fumigatus
6

0
Aspergillus flavus Aspergillus Niger Fusarium SPP Rhizopus stolonifer Penicillium SPP. Aspergillus fumigatus

Main Market Old Market Kasuwan Tare

 Cont'n: RESULT
PERCENTAGE OF FUNGAL OCCURANCE ISOLATED FROM SPOILED
TOMATOES PER SAMPLING AREA
FUNGAL ISOLATE MAIN OLD KASUWAN TOTAL PERCENTAGE
MARKET MARKET TARE

Aspergillus flavus 5 3 2 10 25%

Aspergillus Niger 3 2 4 9 22.5%

Fusarium SPP 2 3 3 8 20%

Rhizopus stolonifer 0 4 2 6 15%

Penicillium SPP. 1 2 0 3 7.5%

Aspergillus fumigatus 2 0 2 4 10%

Table above shows the percentage of fungal occurrence isolated from spoiled tomatoes in three
distinct sampling areas: Main Market, Old Market, and Kasuwan Tare. Among the identified fungi,
Aspergillus flavus exhibited the highest prevalence in the Main Market, with five occurrences,
contributing to 25% of the total isolates. Aspergillus Niger was found in all three areas, with the
highest incidence in Kasuwan Tare, accounting for 22.5% of the total isolates. Fusarium SPP
demonstrated widespread distribution across the markets, totaling eight occurrences and constituting
20% of the overall isolates. Rhizopus stolonifer was predominantly isolated in the Old Market, with
four occurrences, making up 15% of the total. Penicillium SPP. and Aspergillus fumigatus showed
varying occurrences in different markets, contributing 7.5% and 10% to the total isolates, respectively.
 CONCLUSION
Based on the finding of this research work, there are different
fungal species like Aspergillus flavus,Aspergillus Niger, Fusarium SPP,
Rhizopus stolonifer, Penicillium SPP.,Aspergillus fumigatus were
found to be associated with tomatoes spoilage in main market, old
market and kasuwan tare gombe state . The fungi cause a significant
loss loss of tomatoes fruits not only to the farmers and fruits vendor
but to all people who uses the tomatoes for consumption and other
household uses. There is a need in the future to come up with
special preservative methods like canning, sun drying and chemical
preservatives to minimize tomatoes spoilage. Moreover, the storage
of tomato should be done at a temperature and relative humidity
that does not favour the growth of fungi.
 RECOMMENDATIONS
• A good curative measure has to be applied in order to have a good
storage and quality tomato fruits. Good quality tomato fruits.
• Good quality control measures must be employed by the farmers,
marketers and consumers during the harvesting, transportation,
handling and processing of the fruit.
• Frequent inspection of the fruits for sale by food inspectors is
recommended. This will go along way in presenting the
consumption of contaminated tomato fruits thereby reducing the
health hazards posed by the mycotoxins produced by these fungi
isolated in this study
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