1- Department of Crop Production and Protection, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
Abstract: (6927 Views)
The effects of poultry manure and cow dung in comparison with the nematicide, carbofuran on the yield of okra infested with root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita Race 2 were investigated. Two plots of 17×11 m, each naturally infested with the mentioned nematode, were selected for the study. Treatments were poultry manure and cow dung each at the rates of 5 and 10 t ha-1, carbofuran 3G at the rates of 1.5 and 3.0 kg ai ha-1, and a control. One week after application, okra seeds were sown at two seeds per hole and thinned to one plant, one week after planting. Number of pods, cumulative weight of okra pods, root gall-index, soil chemical properties, and soil nematode densities in soil were determined at the beginning and end of the study. The results showed that the highest rates of poultry manure, cow dung, and carbofuran significantly (P≤ 0.05) reduced root gall-index and nematode population density in soil and correspondingly increased fruit yield in comparison to those at lower rates and the control. The results of this study suggest that incorporation of poultry manure or cow dung in nematode-infested field has the potentials to suppress nematode population and reduce nematode damage on okra.
Received: 2013/11/20 | Accepted: 2014/07/6 | Published: 2015/03/1