Asian Journal of Agriculture and Food Sciences (ISSN: 2321 – 1571) Volume 06 – Issue 06, December 2018 Asian Online Journals (www.ajouronline.com) 202 Comparative Study on the Incidence of White Mold ( Sclerotinia Sclerotiorum ) on Stored Carrot within Two Markets in the Tamale Metropolis of Northern Region Elias Nortaa Kunedeb Sowley, Frederick Kankam * and Deborah Akpene Kundo 1 Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, University for Development Studies Tamale, Ghana. * Corresponding author’s email: fkankam [AT] uds.edu.gh _________________________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT— Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is predominant among other fungi species responsible for rot of several crops on the field and in storage. It results in an important economic loss in stored carrot roots and other economic important crops and vegetables. This makes Sclerotinia sclerotiorum a polyphagous fungus. S. sclerotiorum is a cosmopolitan fungus that affects most crops and vegetables in the tropics and temperate regions. The study was conducted to determine the incidence of S. sclerotiorum in stored carrots within the two major markets (Tamale central and Aboabo) of the Tamale Metropolis of the Northern region of Ghana. Fifteen (15) carrot samples each were collected from the two markets and from different storage containers (storage in sack, basket and pan). Four different fungi species were isolated from the carrot samples. These were Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Botrytis cinerea, Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus clavatus. The total incidence of fungi species among the two markets showed significant difference (P < 0.05). S. sclerotiorum recorded varied occurrences across the two markets with the highest incidence recorded in the Tamale Central market (44.4%). S. sclerotiorum was predominant in carrots from the markets than the other fungi. The incidence of S. sclerotiorum varied in different storage containers. Storage using sack recorded the highest incidence (70.0%) of S. sclerotiorum followed by storage using pan (32.7%) with the lowest incidence recorded in storage using basket (24.0%). However, S. sclerotiorum was found to be associated with carrots from the two markets studied. Hence appropriate storage containers such as storage using baskets are recommended as a way of combating the high incidences of S. sclerotiorum. Keywords— Carrot, white mold, Tamale central, Aboabo _________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1. INTRODUCTION Carrot (Daucus carota L.) is a popular exotic vegetable grown throughout the world [1]. It is grown for its fresh roots and it is either eaten fresh or cooked [2]. Carrot is a biennial crop which is usually cultivated as an annual crop in the tropics [3]. It is an important vegetable which is ranked third among the succulent vegetables in the world production [4, 5]. The annual world production of carrot has increased by 133% during the past 3 decades amounting to 19.4 million metric tons in 2000 [6]. Presently, carrot is a commercially important crop that represents 1.4% of the total world root, tuber and other vegetable production [6]. Carrots are produced in at least 108 countries throughout the six continents [6]. One of the prevalent storage diseases of carrot is the sclerotinia rot, also known as cottony rot or white mold is caused by the Sclerotinia sclerotiorum fungi [7]. The inoculum responsible for this disease of carrots originate primarily from infected and infested roots from the field [7]. According to Bolland and Hall [8], the fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is a polyphagous species that affects over 400 plant species around the world. Host plants infested by this fungus include many vegetable crops such as; carrot, tomato, green pepper, lettuce and cabbage [9]. Despite the importance of carrot, it is faced with several challenges from cultivation through to storage. The continuous availability of quality carrot beyond the normal harvest season remains a primary challenge to producers globally and also storage methods between harvest and marketing vary among regions [10]. According to Hasen et al. [11], serious losses have been recorded in the United States during storage of carrot due to white mold. Ghana is not exempted from this problem in Africa because optimum temperature for disease development ranges from 15 – 21 o C [12]. Proper storage method is one of the factors to effectively reduce or suppress infection by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Inappropriate storage conditions allow for the easy development and spread of the fungus. Severe infections result in rotting and thereby producing bad smells. Other control measures including biological and chemical means together with proper storage temperature are essential for minimizing moisture loss and reducing microbial activities on stored carrot.