Pathogenic Effect of Soilborne Fusarium Species on the Growth of Millet Seedlings

Millet is a cereal of enormous importance with potentials in the agricultural systems and food security but it constitutes a neglected agrobiodiversity. Soil borne pathogenic fungi could be possible culprit to millet cultivation in southwestern Nigeria. Therefore, this study investigates the pathogenic effect of isolated Fusarium species from soil on millet seedlings under greenhouse conditions. Twenty-two Fusarium species which were isolated from the soil samples collected at various cereal growing farm sites in southwestern Nigeria were subjected to pathogenicity test on four varieties of millet namely; Pearl, Black fonio, Finger and Guinea millets. The susceptibility of these millet varieties to Fusarium species shows Guinea millet > Finger millet > Black fonio > Pearl millets. Guinea millet was significantly (p<0.05) susceptible compared to other varieties while Pearl millet showed the highest resistant to all the Fusarium species in this study. However, the most pathogenic Fusarium isolates on the millet varieties are F. anthophilum, F. verticillioides, F. oxysporum and F. scirpi. The pathogenic effects of the Fusarium species in this study justified that the biocontrol strategy needs to be put in place for sustainable cultivation of millet in south-western Nigeria.