PHYSICOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF Fusarium moniliforme ISOLATED FROM INFECTED MAIZE PLANTS FROM FAISALABAD, PAKISTAN

Maize (Zea mays L) is a parsimoniously important cereal crop after wheat and rice because it is rich in carbohydrates, protein, fiber, sugar, and ash, and oil that’s used as human food and the crop is used as animal feed too. The stalk rot of maize caused by Fusarium moniliforme (Fm) is one of the most important emerging threats to the successful production of maize in Pakistan. In this study the physicochemical characterization of Fm was done. Diseased samples of maize were collected from Faisalabad regions. Pathogen was isolated from the infected maize plant. In physiological test different pH levels (8.5, 7.5, 6.5 and 4) were evaluated and the highest fungal growth was observed at pH 7.5 (14.50mm), and the effect of different temperature (23, 28, 33, and 38) were also assessed. At 28°C temperature (38.42mm) the highest growth was observed. Different carbon sources (glucose, sucrose, dextrose, and maltose) versus were assessed. Glucose as a carbon source showed the highest fungal growth (11.62mm). Nitrogen sources such as urea, Ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3), and potassium nitrate (KNO3) were assessed, and urea showed the highest fungal growth (34.86mm). Fm was characterized by using biochemical tests such as cellulose hydrolysis, urease activity, β-glucosidase activity, phosphate, and polyphenol oxidases activity. All these biochemical showed the positive results except urease activity test. All the experiments were conducted under lab conditions by using Randomized Complete Block Design (CRBD). To observe the difference in response of treatments, least significant difference (LSD) was used at 0.05 % probability level.