Control of Yam Spoilage Fungi Using Xylopia aethiopica and Monodora myristica Seed Extracts

Background and Objective: Yam plays an important role in the food security and livelihoods of at least 60 million people, especially in West Africa. Effects of seed extracts of Xylopia aethiopica and Monodora myristica on yams were investigated using the cold extractions method. Materials and Methods: Two healthy and infested yam tubers were purchased from EKE-Awka Market, in Awka. Isolation, identification of causal organisms and phytochemical analysis were carried out using different standard methods. The experiment was set up in a completely randomized design while the data collected was analyzed using ANOVA. Results: Fungi isolated from the deteriorated yam tubers were: Fusarium oxysporum (11.11%), Aspergillus flavus (33.33) and Aspergillus niger (66.67%). Aspergillus niger (66.67) was the most pathogenic while the least pathogenic was Fusarium oxysporium (13%). Aqueous extracts of the two plants inhibited the growth of the fungal pathogens moderately while the most fungitoxic was the ethanoic extraction of Xylopia aethiopica which inhibited the growth of almost all the fungal pathogens studied. Extracts of X. aethiopica recorded the highest percentage inhibition of A. niger (19.71%) followed by F. oxysporum (10.24%) while A. flavus had the least (10.21%). Conclusion: The study concluded that pathogens (fungi) responsible for yam spoilage can be controlled or inhibited from growing by using plant extracts of Xylopia aethiopica and Monodora myristica. This can provide an alternative way of reducing and controlling rot by farmers.