Identification of Pathogenic Fungi Causing Postharvest Disease of Banana Fruit (Musa acuminata Cavendish Subgroup) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

ABSTRACT Banana (Musa acuminata Cavendish Subgroup) cultivation plays a pivotal role in Vietnam's economy. However, the presence of postharvest diseases poses significant challenges as they adversely affect the quality and market value of the crop. The objective of this study was to identify the microbial strains responsible for these diseases through phylogenetic analysis and morphological characterisation. Four fungal isolates including Colletotrichum musae, C. gloeosporioides, Fusarium musae and Lasiodiplodia theobromae were identified as the primary causal agents of fruit rot in postharvest bananas. Re‐infection tests, which were conducted following Koch's postulates on banana samples, confirmed the isolates' significant pathogenicity, leading to weight loss, colour alteration, firmness reduction and acidity changes in the fungal‐infected bananas. These findings hold profound implications for enhancing our understanding of banana diseases in the postharvest stage, which can contribute to the development of effective control measures and mitigation strategies in the future.