CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Garden egg (Solanum melongena Linn) of the family Solanaceae (Obeng-Ofori et al.,
2007) is a kind of fruit that is very important for man; as food, supplying some major
nutrients, and as a source of bioactive ingredients militating against some diseases like
diabetes mellitus and liver problems. It is also used for many other purposes among which are
to achieve weight control within a short period, eliminate unnecessary salts in maintaining
proper functioning of the heart, reduce the sugar content level in diabetics because of its low
calorie and high fibre contents and reduce blood cholesterol (Aliyu, 2006). However, the
damage caused by pests and microbes often constitute a great impediment to biomass
productivity of this plant. It is for example susceptible to fungal diseases caused by
Phytophthora nicotianea, var. parasitica and if the fruit touches the ground, Corticium rolfsii
will cause an infection (Obeng-Ofori et al., 2007). This has stimulated the search for suitable
control strategies against the disease.
Garden egg (Solanum melongena Linn) is commonly referred to as “igba” or”ikan”
among the Yoruba, “yalo” among the Hausa and “aňara” in Igbo language. It is a fruit native
to India. Today, it is cultivated in many parts of the warmer regions of the world, Africa
inclusive. The fruit is often shaped like an egg hence the name garden egg and comes in
different colours like green, white, grey or a combination of these colours (Osei et al., 2010).
It tastes from bland to sweet or slightly bitter. The over ripped ones are used to make stew,
and the stew made with garden egg is palatable. The fruits and leaves are used as vegetables,
while the fruits serve as ‘kola’ in ceremonies.
Nutritionally, the fruit when mature for consumption contains 92.7% water, 4%
carbohydrates, 1.4% proteins, 1.3% fibre, 0.3% fats, 0.3% minerals and is rich in vitamins A
and B. It was reported by Shukla and Naik (1993) that on the average, the oblong-fruit
cultivars are rich in total soluble sugars, whereas the long-fruit cultivars contain higher
amounts of free reducing-sugars, anthocyanin, phenols, glycoalkaloids, dry matter and amide
protein. Salamat et al. (2013) stated that as fruit maturity progresses and sugar content
increases, total soluble solid will also increase. The presence of glycoalkaloids is responsible
for the bitter taste in egg plant fruit. Low calorie and protein contents make this fruit a perfect
recipe for achieving weight loss within a short period, and eliminating unnecessary salt to
help maintain proper functioning of the heart. The meaty nature of garden egg makes it a
substitute for meat and fish especially for people who have liver problems and for people
who should protect their heart against cholesterol (Shukla and Naik, 1993). Some pathogens
that infect egg plant fruits at various stages of development and particularly after harvest
include the genera such as Phytopthora, Helminthosporium, Hemilleia, Mycosphaerella, and
others (Mehrota and Aggarwal, 2003).
Many fruits and vegetables are perishable especially in tropical and subtropical
regions without adequate refrigeration. The magnitude of post-harvest losses in fresh fruits
and vegetables is estimated at 25.8% (Thirupathi et al., 2006). Most of the product is lost
after the harvest because of inadequate handling and preservation methods. People in
developing countries often cannot afford the use of cold storage facilities, which may be
because of lack of capital or lack of technical knowledge by small scale growers and retailers
in these areas (Thirupathi et al., 2006). Fungi are the most important and prevalent pathogens
infecting a wide range of host plants, causing damage to the fresh fruits and vegetables during
storage and transportation and subsequently economic loss. Various strategies that have been
used to control the pathogens include the use of chemical and biological agents. Some
notable synthetic chemicals have been developed and used to control these diseases.
However, they have been reported to be toxic to both plants and mammals (Chaturvedi et al.,
2003), and they are expensive to peasants and subsistent farmers.
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Garden egg (Solanum melongena Linn) of the family Solanaceae (Obeng-Ofori et al.,
2007) is a kind of fruit that is very important for man; as food, supplying some major
nutrients, and as a source of bioactive ingredients militating against some diseases like
diabetes mellitus and liver problems. It is also used for many other purposes among which are
to achieve weight control within a short period, eliminate unnecessary salts in maintaining
proper functioning of the heart, reduce the sugar content level in diabetics because of its low
calorie and high fibre contents and reduce blood cholesterol (Aliyu, 2006). However, the
damage caused by pests and microbes often constitute a great impediment to biomass
productivity of this plant. It is for example susceptible to fungal diseases caused by
Phytophthora nicotianea, var. parasitica and if the fruit touches the ground, Corticium rolfsii
will cause an infection (Obeng-Ofori et al., 2007). This has stimulated the search for suitable
control strategies against the disease.
Garden egg (Solanum melongena Linn) is commonly referred to as “igba” or”ikan”
among the Yoruba, “yalo” among the Hausa and “aňara” in Igbo language. It is a fruit native
to India. Today, it is cultivated in many parts of the warmer regions of the world, Africa
inclusive. The fruit is often shaped like an egg hence the name garden egg and comes in
different colours like green, white, grey or a combination of these colours (Osei et al., 2010).
It tastes from bland to sweet or slightly bitter. The over ripped ones are used to make stew,
and the stew made with garden egg is palatable. The fruits and leaves are used as vegetables,
while the fruits serve as ‘kola’ in ceremonies.
Nutritionally, the fruit when mature for consumption contains 92.7% water, 4%
carbohydrates, 1.4% proteins, 1.3% fibre, 0.3% fats, 0.3% minerals and is rich in vitamins A
and B. It was reported by Shukla and Naik (1993) that on the average, the oblong-fruit
cultivars are rich in total soluble sugars, whereas the long-fruit cultivars contain higher
amounts of free reducing-sugars, anthocyanin, phenols, glycoalkaloids, dry matter and amide
protein. Salamat et al. (2013) stated that as fruit maturity progresses and sugar content
increases, total soluble solid will also increase. The presence of glycoalkaloids is responsible
for the bitter taste in egg plant fruit. Low calorie and protein contents make this fruit a perfect
recipe for achieving weight loss within a short period, and eliminating unnecessary salt to
help maintain proper functioning of the heart. The meaty nature of garden egg makes it a
substitute for meat and fish especially for people who have liver problems and for people
who should protect their heart against cholesterol (Shukla and Naik, 1993). Some pathogens
that infect egg plant fruits at various stages of development and particularly after harvest
include the genera such as Phytopthora, Helminthosporium, Hemilleia, Mycosphaerella, and
others (Mehrota and Aggarwal, 2003).
Many fruits and vegetables are perishable especially in tropical and subtropical
regions without adequate refrigeration. The magnitude of post-harvest losses in fresh fruits
and vegetables is estimated at 25.8% (Thirupathi et al., 2006). Most of the product is lost
after the harvest because of inadequate handling and preservation methods. People in
developing countries often cannot afford the use of cold storage facilities, which may be
because of lack of capital or lack of technical knowledge by small scale growers and retailers
in these areas (Thirupathi et al., 2006). Fungi are the most important and prevalent pathogens
infecting a wide range of host plants, causing damage to the fresh fruits and vegetables during
storage and transportation and subsequently economic loss. Various strategies that have been
used to control the pathogens include the use of chemical and biological agents. Some
notable synthetic chemicals have been developed and used to control these diseases.
However, they have been reported to be toxic to both plants and mammals (Chaturvedi et al.,
2003), and they are expensive to peasants and subsistent farmers.
