Preliminary Investigation Of The Effect Of Some Organic Soil Amendment On Taro Leaf Blight Severity

ABSTRACT

Taro leaf blight caused by Phytophora colocasiae is a disease of major importance in many region of the word where taro is grown. This study was carried out and aimed at preliminary investigation of the effects of organic soil amendment on some growth components and taro leaf blight disease severity. The soil amendments used are neem ash, cashew ash and oil palm bunch ash at rate of 50, 100 and 200g respectively. The field experiment was set up in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replicates. The result of the effect of the soil amendment on the growth components showed significant difference P<0.05 on most of the components investigated. The analysis of the variance on leaf area showed that there was significant difference (p>0.05) due to the treatment. There was significant difference (p<0.05) on the number of leaf for each plant stand. The mean values range from 3.232 – 2.879. A very highly significant difference (p<0.05) was observed on the plant girth due to the soil amendment. The plant height was highly significance at (p<0.05). The soil amendment significantly affected the plant height. The result obtained on the disease severity indicated that the various soil amendment showed on significance difference (p>0.05) following analysis of variance. This study showed that the different organic soil amendments significantly influence the growth components investigated. However, this study also revealed that the soil amendments increase the disease severity in C50, C100, and O200 respectively.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Cover page ﾿ i

Title page ﾿ ii

Certification ﾿ iii

Declaration ﾿ iv

Dedication ﾿ v

Acknowledgement ﾿ vi

Table of content ﾿ vii

List of tables ﾿ viii

Abstract ﾿ ix

CHAPTER ONE:

1.1 ﾿ Introduction ﾿ 1

1.2 ﾿ Aim of the Study ﾿ 3

1.3 ﾿ Objectives of Study ﾿ 3 ﾿

CHAPTER TWO

2.0 ﾿ Literature Review ﾿ 4

2.1 ﾿ Origin and Distribution of Taro ﾿ 4

2.2 ﾿ Botany of Taro ﾿ 5

2.3 ﾿ Uses of Taro ﾿ 6

2.4 ﾿ Ecology of Taro ﾿ 6

2.5 ﾿ Brief Overview of Plant Nutrition ﾿ 7

2.6 ﾿ Effect of Number and Size of Leaf On Crop On Crop Growth And Yield ﾿ 8

2.7 ﾿ Organic Manures ﾿ 8

2.8 ﾿ Effect of Sucking on Yield ﾿ 9

2.9 ﾿ Factors Affecting Cooking of Taro Corm ﾿ 10

2.10 ﾿ History of Taro Leaf Blight Epidermic and Impacts ﾿ 11

2.11 ﾿ Disease Symptoms ﾿ 13

2.12 ﾿ Biology of the Pathogen ﾿ 14

2.12.1 ﾿ Host Range ﾿ 14

2.12.2 ﾿ Life Cycle ﾿ 15

2.12.3 ﾿ Infection Process and Conditions ﾿ 16

2.12.4 ﾿ Disease Epidermology ﾿ 16

2.13 ﾿ Disease Management Strategics ﾿ 18

2.13.1 ﾿ Cultural and Biological Control ﾿ 18

2.13.2 ﾿ Chemical Control ﾿ 18

2.14 ﾿ Resistant Cultivers and Genetic Resources ﾿ 19

2.15 ﾿ Breeding of Resistance to Taro Leaf Blight ﾿ 22

CHAPTER THREE

3.0 ﾿ Materials and Methods ﾿ 24

3.1 ﾿ Study Area ﾿ 24

3.2 ﾿ Collection of Planting Materials ﾿ 24

3.3 ﾿ Experimental Design ﾿ 24

3.4 ﾿ Land Preparation ﾿ 24

3.5 ﾿ Planting ﾿ 25

3.6 ﾿ Soil Amendment ﾿ 25

3.7 ﾿ Taro Leaf Blight Pathogen (TLB) ﾿ 25

3.7.1 ﾿ Fertilization and Soil Amendments ﾿ 25

3.7.2 ﾿ Inoculation ﾿ 25

3.7.3 ﾿ Weeding ﾿ 26 ﾿

3.8 ﾿ Collection of Data ﾿ 26

3.9 ﾿ Data Analysis ﾿ 26

CHAPTER FOUR

4.1 ﾿ RESULTS ﾿ 27

CHAPTER FIVE

Discussion and Conclusion ﾿ 30

5.1 ﾿ Effect of the Treatment on the Growth Parameters on Taro ﾿ 30

5.2 ﾿ Conclusion ﾿ 32

REFERENCES ﾿