SHORT COMMUNICATION Fusarium species Associated with Fruit Rot of Banana ( Musa spp.), Papaya ( Carica papaya ) and Guava (Psidium guajava )

A total of 60 isolates of Fusarium were isolated from fruit rot of banana ( Musa spp.), papaya ( Carica papaya ) and guava (Psidium guajava ). The most common species recovered from the fruit rot of the three fruit crops were F. semitectum (40 %), F. solani (38.3 %), F . verticillioides (11.7 %) and F. oxysporum (10 %). Fusarium semitectum was isolated from fruit rot of banana, papaya and guava; F . oxysporum from banana and papaya; F. solani from banana and guava and F. verticillioides from banana. From pathogenicity tests, F. solani and F. semitectum were pathogenic to both banana and papaya and F. verticillioides to banana. F. oxysporum was not pathogenic to banana and papaya and F. semitectum was not pathogenic to guava. The results of the present study showed the presence of several Fusarium spp. on fruit rot of banana, papaya and guava and several species are found to be pathogenic causing fruit rot on their hosts.