Studies On Bacterial Fruit Spot Disease Of Six Varieties Of Tomato (Solanum Lycopersicon) And Their Bio-Control In Humid South Eastern Nigeria

ABSTRACT

Studies were carried out in Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State to evaluate six tomato varieties for bacterial fruit spot disease of tomato both in field and culture. The field experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with six tomato varieties replicated three times, the treatment employed were: oil palm bunch ash, wood ash, saw-dust ash and sterile water(control).The summery of the weather charts recorded during the 2013 experimental period shows the effect of weather condition on disease incidence. Effect of plant ashes on disease severity, disease incidence, growth and yield parameters of the six tomato varieties were determined. Result obtained from field work showed that the mean % disease incidence was least with crops treated with wood ash 31.86% while the highest mean% disease incidence was with saw dust treated plants scoring 32.86% which is statistically superior when compared with control untreated crops with a mean value of 84.09%.Result obtained from pot experiment showed that var plumpty (1.97) had the highest disease severity while varitylka (1.00) had the least disease severity, which is the best when compared with other varieties at P0.05. From the laboratory experiment data obtained showed that among the plant extracts used, Azardirachta indica with mean value of 84.08% and Vernonia amygdalina with mean value of 79.07% were more effective in pathogen growth reduction. while Chromoleana odorata was less effective with mean value of 76.09 but better than the control with mean% growth reduction of 17.5% at P=0.05. A. indica, V. amygdalina, wood ash and saw dust ash are recommended to the farmers in this agro ecological zone because of their bactericidal effect on bacterial fruit spot disease of tomato.