ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF FUNGI ASSOCIATED WITH TISSUE CULTURES OF BANANA TREE (Musa acuminata) AND THE SYNERGISTIC INHIBITORY EFFECT OF BELTANOL AND COPPER SULFATE*

Abstract

This study aimed to find chemicals that completely inhibit fungi contaminating Banana tissue without affecting the plant through the use of chemical fungicide Beltanol and copper sulfate and their interactions. Through the course of research fungi were isolated and identified from tissue cultures belonging to the Grand 9 banana plant, as six fungal species were isolated: Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Cladosporium oxysporum, Penicillium digitatum, Penicillium expansum, and Penicillium sp.Some fungal inhibitors such as Beltanol and copper sulphate showed good efficacy against isolated fungi, where Beltanol showed the highest inhibition rate, reaching 100% for all the fungi under study at concentrations 250, 500, and 1000 ppm, except for concentration 62.5 ppm, as the average effect of the concentration reached all fungi 48%, and copper sulphate showed 100% inhibition at concentrations 1000, 1500 and 2000 ppm with all fungi, while at a concentration of 500 ppm it had the highest inhibition with fungus A. flavus with a rate of 66% and the least inhibition was with the fungus C. oxysporum with an inhibition rate of 30%. The study showed the synergistic effect between the pesticide Beltanol 62.5 ppm, and copper sulfate 500ppm that the use of the lowest concentrations and in a synergistic manner gave 100% inhibition rates for all fungi contaminating tissue cultures and also in the germination of their spores. Copper sulfate 500 ppm that the use of the lowest concentrations in a synergistic manner gave 100% inhibition rates for all fungi contaminating tissue cultures and also in the germination of their spores. Keywords: Banana, Platanol pesticide, Copper sulfate, Aspergillus, Penicillium