Authors: N. G. Ogbuji, N. B. Wofu, N. B. Wofu
Abstract: Banana (Musa sapientum.), a rich source of essential nutrients is a staple food crop in many tropical regions. In spite of its economic viability, its production is faced with numerous challenges including diseases and pests, which can significantly impact yields and quality. This study aimed to determine the bacterial organisms and the bacterial community structure associated with banana fruits using Illumina next generation sequencing (NGS) platform. Ripe and unripe banana fruits were sourced from Choba market in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area, Rivers State, Nigeria. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) extraction was done using Laragen’s validated proprietary bacteria DNA extraction protocol. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification was performed to target the V4 region of the 16S rDNA gene using the conserved primers 515F and 806R. The most abundant phyla obtained from ripe and unripe banana were Proteobacteria (41.7%), Firmicutes (25.7%), Bacteroidetes (9.7%) and Actinobacteria (2.5%). The abundance of the predominant genera (Pseudomonas) was 41.7%. Other genera with relatively high abundance includes Bacteroides (25.94%) and Ruminococcus (9.94%). The result from this study shows that banana fruits are associated with beneficial and pathogenic organisms of human interest. Beneficial microorganisms such as Trabulsiella and Bacillus can be harnessed to promote plant growth and confer anti-fungal resistance in plants through biotechnology.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17019678
