Incident of Vegetable Decay in Davangere City Market, Davangere Distrist, Karnataka

Abstract

Fungal pathogens are major contributors to post-harvest deterioration of vegetables, causing significant economic losses and food safety risks. In this study, healthy and diseased samples of garlic, onion, potato, parwal, and green pepper were collected from local markets and examined for fungal rot incidence. Pathogens were isolated using standard tissue isolation techniques on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) and Czapek’s agar, and their pathogenicity was confirmed through artificial inoculation under controlled conditions. Among the tested vegetables, maximum disease incidence was recorded in garlic (16%) and potato (12–30%), whereas green chilies exhibited the lowest incidence (8.1%). A total of 19 fungal species belonging to Aspergillus, Fusarium, Alternaria, Curvularia, Drechslera, Penicillium, Rhizoctonia, and Absidia were identified. Distinct symptoms such as soft rots, watery secretion, pigmentation, mycelial growth, and foul odor were observed across hosts. The findings highlight the diversity and destructive potential of fungal pathogens in market vegetables and emphasize the urgent need for effective post-harvest disease management strategies to reduce food spoilage and health hazards.