Assessment of Crown Rot Disease on Banana (Musa acuminata) in Rivers State, South South Nigeria

Banana (Musa acuminata) is a commercially important fruit crop in Rivers State, with significant quantities transported from rural production zones to markets in Port Harcourt and surrounding urban centres. Crown rot, a post-harvest disease complex involving multiple fungal pathogens, is a major quality constraint reducing shelf life and marketability of banana bunches. This study assessed the prevalence, causal agents, and contributing factors of crown rot in 40 banana farms and associated trading points across three local government areas in Rivers State. Symptomatic crown tissues were sampled immediately after harvesting and at 48-hour intervals through five days of simulated ambient storage. Laboratory examination identified Thielaviopsis paradoxa, Lasiodiplodia theobromae, and Fusarium proliferatum as the dominant fungi associated with crown rot across stages. Crown rot incidence was 66 percent in market samples collected five days after harvest, compared to 22 percent at farm level immediately post-harvest. High ambient temperatures, physical damage during handling, and delayed fungicide treatment at harvest were the primary risk factors identified. Farmers and traders generally lacked knowledge of post-harvest disease management and reported crown rot as a routine accepted loss rather than a preventable problem. The study recommends the introduction of post-harvest dipping protocols and improved handling practices at farm and market levels. Keywords: banana, crown rot, Lasiodiplodia, post-harvest, Rivers State.