eng Science and Education Publishing American Journal of Microbiological Research 2328-4137 2020-05-29 8 2 73 78 10.12691/ajmr-8-2-5 AJMR2020825 article Lile Christere Nguemnang Mabou 1 Modeste Lambert Sameza samezamste@yahoo.com 2 Severin Nguemezi Tchameni 2 Pierre Eke 2 2 Ru?n Marie Kouipou Toghueo 2 Alessandra Albertini 3 Pierre Gilbert Tamghe Gomsi 3 Fabrice Fekam Boyom 3 Antimicrobial & Biocontrol Agents Unit (AmBcAU), Laboratory for Phytobiochemistry and Medicinal Plants Studies, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Yaound¨¦ I, P. O. Box 812, Yaound¨¦, Cameroon. Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Douala, P O Box 24 157, Douala, Cameroon. Laboratory of Genetic and Microbiology, Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italia Nowadays, increasingly complains mention tremendous decay of stored yam tubers in the Mbam et Kim Division, the main producing zone of Cameroon. Knowledge of the specific fungi responsible for yam spoilage is paramount for proper preservation by implementing plausible control measures. This study was therefore undertaken to identify the causative fungal agents associated with yam tubers rot in the survey zone. The isolation of suspicious pathogens was performed as per the Koch¡¯s postulates encompassing artificial inoculation, symptoms recording, re-isolation and comparisons-based re-identification. The identity of isolates was later on ascertained by the sequencing of the 5.8S ribosomal DNA gene (ITS1 and ITS2). Overall, seven fungal species: Fusarium solani, Fusarium oxysporum, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium monomenatosum, Rhizopus oryzea, Talaromyces flavovirens and Bionectria cf. ochroleuca were recovered. P. monomenatosum is reported here for the first time as causative agent of yam rot. The obtained results unveil the identity of the devastating fungus threatening yam availability to consumers throughout the year in Cameroon and represent an initial and crucial step toward planning efficient and reliable control measure to counter the yam rot epidemic. http://pubs.sciepub.com/ajmr/8/2/5/ajmr-8-2-5.pdf Mbam et Kim division fungi yam tubers rot Penicillium monomenatosum