ABSTRACT

A field trial was conducted at the University of Uyo Teaching and Research Farm to assess the effect of some botanical foliar sprays in the control of leafspot disease of mungbean. The plant extracts used were: leaves of neem, tassel flower, Moringa and candle stick. The experiment was a randomized complete block design (RCBD) and replicated three times. The result of the disease survey on mungbean 10 weeks after application of 70% of each of extract showed that neem had the least incidence of 0.0 and 38.89% at 2 and 10 weeks after treatment respectively. The result also showed that, the level of infection increased with increased crop age. The result of isolation showed that four different fungi were isolated from diseased mungbean leaves. They were; Brachysporium nigrum, Dactylaria leptospermi, Gliocladium roseum and Aspergillus niger with Gliocladium roseum showing the highest percentage frequency of occurrence of 70.58%, while Dactylaria leptospermi had the least percentage frequency of occurrence of 11.76%. Results of pathogenicity test showed that Gliocladium roseum was pathogenic on mungbean seedling 28 days after inoculation. The result of experiments in which extracts were sprayed on inoculated mungbean plant showed that neem extract had the least disease incidence of 10%, four weeks after inoculation, while candle stick, moringa and tassel flower had 30% disease incidence four weeks after inoculation. Neem extract showed the least severity at four weeks after inoculation. The highest disease incidence 100% was observed in the control treatment four weeks after treatment. The results of laboratory test for mycelial growth inhibition showed that the highest inhibition of the pathogen, 0.04cm, was observed from Senna alata, while the least inhibition of 0.33cm was observed from Moringa oleifera. The results also showed that Neem, moringa, senna and tassel flower were highly effective against the incitant, Gliocladium roseum.