ABSTRACT

A field trial was conducted at the research farms Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, Abia State, South Eastern to evaluate the effect of selected botanicals on maize Leaf Spot and Streak Diseases in humid Umudike, South Eastern Nigeria in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with six treatments and three replicates. The objectives of the study were to: determine the disease severity and percentage incidence of maize leaf spot and streak diseases in humid Umudike, determine the efficacy of the selected botanicals on maize leaf spot and streak diseases and compare the effect of different selected botanicals on growth parameters and grain yield in the study area. Maize leaf spots and streak diseases were identified with a modified scale of Opera and Wokocha (2008) which were the major threat to maize crops amongst smallholder farmers in the study area, causing millions of losses annually. Cicadulina mbila were detected as the main vector of MSV. In addition to maize streak, the virus also infects wild grasses.  Results obtained from the field experiment showed that the selected botanicals assessed reduced disease incidence and severity drastically at 5% probability when compared with the untreated (control). From the findings, the results reviewed that combination of Virat and Nutrimax reduced the incidence of maize leaf spot and streak diseases at (21.78%) as well as severity of leaf spot and streak diseases at (0.66%) (P> 0.05). It means that the selected botanicals were ecofriendly and cheap source of biopesticides in the management of maize leaf spot and streak diseases.