ABSTRACT

Experiments were conducted in the green house of the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike to evaluate the efficacy of benlate, wood ash, palm oil effluence, poultry manure, neem seed extract (NSE) and Trichoderma harzianum applied as soil amendments for the control of the Fusanum wilt of eggplant; and to study the pathogenicity and virulence of isolates from different locations in Isiala - Ngwa. The experimental design was a completely randomized design (CRD). Results of pathogenicity test showed that the three isolates of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. melon genae tested were pathogenic on the eggplant. No significant difference (p<0.05) was detected in their virulence towards the seedlings. Amendments were applied at different intervals before, after and same day of inoculation of the wilt pathogen at 10% concentration. The effects of the amendments on incidence and severity of the pathogen isolates was tested on the 7 week old eggplant seedlings. Soil amendment with Neem Seed Extract (NSE), was the most efficacious and reduced fusarium wilt incidence and severity index in eggplant to 3.33% and 1.03 respectively. This was followed by T. harzianum 3.33% disease incidence and 1.13 severity index. Poultry manure with a disease incidence of 43.33% and severity index of 2.23 was the least effective amendment in the control of the wilt disease. The results showed that amending the soil same day as inoculation with pathogen gave the best control and that Neem Seed Extract (NSE), T. harzianum and Palm oil effluence amendments gave better control than Benlate. Results of radial growth in the laboratory showed that the isolates had no significant difference (p><0.05) in their radial growth on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) and differed significantly (p><0.05) in their growth on Eggplant Dextrose Agar (EDA) and Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) media. Neem seed extract (NSE), was the most efficacious and reduced fusarium wilt incidence and severity index in eggplant to 3.33% and 1.03 respectively. This was followed by T. harzianum 3.33% disease incidence and 1.13 severity index. Poultry manure with a disease incidence of 43.33% and severity index of 2.23 was the least effective amendment in the control of the wilt disease. The results showed that amending the soil same day as inoculation with pathogen gave the best control and that Neem Seed Extract (NSE), T. harzianum and Palm oil effluence amendments gave better control than Benlate. Results of radial growth in the laboratory showed that the isolates had no significant difference (p<0.05) in their radial growth on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) and differed significantly (p><0.05) in their growth on Eggplant Dextrose Agar (EDA) and Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) media. Neem seed extract (NSE), T. harzianum and palm oil effluence should be tried in the field at the time of infection to control the disease in preference to Benlate.