ANALYSIS OF THE RATE OF SYMPTOM DEVELOPMENT OF FUSARIUM SP. CAUSING VANILLA STEM ROT ON ARTIFICIAL MEDIUM AND LIVING PLANTS
Abstrak
Vanilla stem rot disease (Vanilla planifolia Andrews) is one of the most destructive fungal diseases affecting vanilla cultivation worldwide. It is caused by the soil-borne fungus Fusarium sp., which significantly reduces crop productivity and quality through stem necrosis, tissue softening, and plant death. This study aimed to analyze the rate and pattern of symptom development of Fusarium sp. infection under two different conditions: artificial medium (Potato Dextrose Agar/PDA) and living vanilla plants. The research was conducted at the Biotechnology Laboratory and the Laboratory of Plant Pests and Diseases using a descriptive observation method without statistical analysis. Inoculation was performed by culturing fungal isolates on vanilla stem cuttings placed on PDA medium and on healthy vanilla plants under controlled humidity and temperature. Daily visual observations were made to record the onset and progression of disease symptoms. The results showed that fungal mycelium began to develop on PDA on the second day after inoculation and fully covered the stem surface by the sixth day. In contrast, disease symptoms on living plants appeared on the sixth day, characterized by brownish lesions, tissue discoloration, and mild stem wilting. These findings confirm that Fusarium sp. has a high infection potential under humid environments and fulfills the initial criteria of Koch’s Postulates as the causal pathogen of vanilla stem rot disease.
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