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Effect of Zinc curing on Root Blight Complex and Yield of Cocoyam (<i>Xanthosoma sagitifolium</i>)


MN Obasi
IC Nwadili
AO UBalua
G Okeke

Abstract

An experiment was conducted at Umudike and Igbariam, South Eastern Nigeria to determine the rate of Zinc sulphate (ZnSO4) curing that will reduce the incidence of root rot blight complex of cocoyam (Xanthosoma sagitifolium). Varied levels of zinc sulphate were dipped in 100 ml acetic acid (CH3COOH) in 10 litres of water for 15 minutes. At Umudike, the treatment applied were not significant in reducing the blight incidnce of the disease but was significant in blight severity. A 20g zinc sulphate concentration gave the highest reduction with a severity score of 2.4%. But at Igbariam, the effect of treatment on blight incidence was not significant while blight severity had a significant (P<0.05) effect on cocoyam (Xanthosoma sagitifolium) by 56% higher compared with results obtained from Umudike. The non-significant effect of zinc sulphate on the performance and yield of cocoyam indicate that zinc sulphate was not applied as a nutrient source of fertilizer.

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print ISSN: 0300-368X