Disparity of fungi responsible for the spoilage of fruits sold in Sokoto Central Senatorial District, Sokoto State, Nigeria

This study was carried out in Sokoto central Senatorial District to identify the disparity of the fungal frequency responsible for spoilage of fruits sold at various markets of the district. A total of 240 spoilage fruits consisting of twelve (12) fruits each of Mangifera indica, Citrulus lanatus, Citrus sinnensis and Cucubita maxima were collected from five (5) different markets. Each of the fruits was cut into small pieces and inoculated on Potato Dextrose Agar then incubated at 25⁰C and observed for 5 days. The isolates were identified using cultural and morphological features. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine the significant difference for the mean frequency of these fungal species at P<0.05 level of significance. The results obtained showed the presence of Aspergillus niger Rhizopus stolonifera, R. oryzae, Alternaria altinata, Mucor, and Fusarium. Significant disparities were reported from Tangaza (P=0.004), Kware (P=0.000), Binji (P=0.000), and Wamakko (P=0.002) markets. However, there was no significant disparity for the mean frequency of the fungi responsible for the spoilage of fruits in Kasuwar Daji Market (P=0.129). It was recommended that proper storage method be adopted in the area to mitigate the adverse effect of the pathogens on the fruits and human health.