AFRICAN WALNUT (Tetracarpidium conophorum) DISEASES RESEARCH IN NIGERIA: CURRENT STATUS AND THE WAY FORWARD
Keywords:
African walnut, Nigeria, diseases research, economic potentialsAbstract
African walnut (Tetracarpidium conophorum- Mull. Arg) is a cash and economic crop widely grown for its edible seed nuts rich in protein, oils including omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins and minerals with excellent flavor and rich source of energy. A good percentage of the nuts and their nutritional composition are lost to postharvest fungi deterioration. Hence, the effective and adequate production of any crop takes into consideration disease management which is necessary to avoid losing both quality and quantity of crop produce. Infection of crops both in the field and post-harvest levels negatively affect the economic potentials of the crop. There are reports of diseases affecting African walnut in many African countries and many other countries of the world. But information on African walnut diseases in Nigeria are grossly lacking. African walnut has not received the desired research attention especially in the area of disease management; therefore, the aim of this review is to update and discuss the available information on walnut diseases if any in Nigeria. The current status of walnut diseases research and the recommended disease control strategies of African walnut are also discussed.