Effect of Animal Manure on the Incidence and Severity of Leaf Spot Disease of Fluted Pumpkin (<i>Telfairia occidentalis</i>) in Dschang, West Region of Cameroon

Abstract

Fluted Pumpkin known as Telfairia occidentalis is an important vegetable crop in the tropics, cultivated for its leaf vegetable and edible seeds. It is a plant with a wide range of virtues but nevertheless; it is threatened by large scale fungal attacks. In order to manage the problem of food security and meet up with the production of this crop, this study was carried out to assess the effect of animal manure on the incidence and severity of leaf spot disease of Fluted Pumpkin and to determine the pathogenicity test of white leaf spot in Dschang. This research was done in the Faculty of Agronomy and Agricultural Sciences experimental farms at the University of Dschang from November 2017 to May 2018. The field layout was Randomized Complete Block Design with three treatments (poultry manure, piggery manure and control) and three replications. Each replicate consisted of six plots, giving a total of eighteen plots per treatment. In each treatment, fluted pumpkin was spaced at 1 m × 1 m apart. Application of organic manure was done at 3 weeks after emergence and data collection were carried out weekly from 42 DAP. Pathogenicity test was conducted after the establishment of lesions on the leaves. Data were analyzed using descriptive and ANOVA. It was observed that piggery manure treatment had the highest disease incidence (DI = 86.89) compared to the control (DI = 85.42) and poultry manure (DI = 65.74). The pathogenicity test revealed that Phoma sorghina was the causal agent for leaf spot disease in fluted pumpkin with a frequency of 18. Disease incidence and severity was reduced in poultry manure, followed by the control with piggery manure having more disease. Therefore, poultry manure had a better management option of leaf spot disease on fluted pumpkins compared to the other treatments.