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Main Article Content
Efficacy of Local Waste Products on the Control of Bacterial Spots of Telfairia occidentalis (Hook f.) in Umudike, Humid South East Nigeria
Abstract
In the 2024 cropping season, a field trial was conducted at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, to test the impact of local waste materials on the control of bacterial spot disease of Telfairia occidentalis (Hook F.). The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replicates. The local waste materials produced from already used palm bunch, rice husk, biochar, poultry manure, and a control (water) were applied two weeks after germination at the base of the plants, and data were collected for 16 weeks of planting. The parameters assessed were disease incidence, disease severity, growth, and yield parameters. Samples of diseased leaves were collected from the field to the laboratory for pathogenicity test, isolation, identification, and characterization of pathogens. Fisher’s Least Significant Difference (LSD) was used to separate the means at a 5% probability level. Results obtained from disease incidence and severity showed that poultry manure scored (6.75% and 1.28 respectively), while biochar scored 11.36% for disease severity which were significantly better than palm bunch ash which scored 20.47% for disease incidence and 1.64 for severity in reducing incident and the control (41.64% disease incidence and 4.04 severity). Generally, all the local waste was observed to enhance growth in all the parameters assessed (vine length, number of leaves, and number of branches) when compared with the non-treated plants (control). For instance, poultry manure gave the highest vine length (198cm), followed by palm bunch ash (188.33cm), and was statistically higher than the control (135.25cm). The result of the pathogenicity test showed that the organism was able to induce bacterial spot on the seedlings, and the organism isolated from infected leaves was identified as Xanthomonas spp. This study demonstrated the efficacy and potential of some locally produced waste in reducing bacterial spot of T. occidentalis. Therefore, these agricultural waste products can be used by farmers to minimize the risk of bacterial disease incidence in the field since they are readily available and can be produced by the farmers in the comfort of their homes.
