Effect of inoculum density of <i>Meloidogyne incognita</i> on the growth and yield of eggplant (<i>Solanum spp.</i> L.) in Zaria, Sudan Savanna of Nigeria

Abstract

This study was conducted in a screenhouse during the months of September/October, 2015 to investigate the effect of inoculum density of Meloidogyne incognita on the growth and yield of eggplant. The experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design with six treatments and replicated five times. The inoculum levels were: 0, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000 and 8000 eggs/juveniles of M. incognita. Three weeks old eggplant seedlings were inoculated three days after transplanting in 5 L plastic pots. Data were taken on plant height, plant girth, days to 50% flowering, fruit number/plant, fruit weight/plant, shoot and root weights (fresh and dry weights), root galls and nematode population in soil. The results showed that all the inoculum levels reduced the plant height, stem girth, flowering, fruit number, fruit weight and fresh and dry shoot and root weights with corresponding decrease in yield. This indicates that the lowest nematode population used (500 eggs/juveniles of M. incognita) is capable of reducing yield of the variety used. Hence other works can be done to screen more varieties of eggplant for proper recommendation.