Propuesta metodológica para el aislamiento de hongos a partir de raíces almacenadoras de Manihot esculenta Crantz con síntomas de pudrición

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a vital staple food for millions of people worldwide,primarily valued for its edible storage roots. However, these roots are vulnerable to Cassava Root Rot Disease (CRRD), often caused by fungal pathogens such as Fusarium, Lasiodiplodia, and Phytophthora. This disease poses a significant threat to food security in tropical and subtropical regions. Accurate microbial identification is essential for understanding CRRD pathology. However, conventional methods for isolating microorganisms from diseased roots—particularly fungi—have limitations. For instance, incomplete surface sterilization can lead to the isolation of non-axenic fungal colonies. To address this issue, we propose a modified methodology that includes a surface particle-removal step and sterility controls to validate its effectiveness. Our method significantly improved the isolation of axenic fungal colonies from CRRD-affected roots compared to traditional techniques across three different culture media. Out of 60 samples per method, the proposed method yielded a statistically higher proportion of axenic fungal colonies (88.3%) than the traditional approach (30%). Although the proposed method facilitates microbial isolation, further validation is needed to assess its reliability across various pathogens and environmental conditions