Comparative Effects of Natural and Synthetic Fungicides on the Pink Root Disease of Onion (<i>Allium cepa </i>L.), in Nursery

Abstract

Onion is an important vegetable in Senegal horticulture, where it occupies the first place. However in the greatest areas production like the Gandiolais, in the North of Senegal, Pink root disease caused by a soil born fungus Pyrenochaeta terrestris (Hansen) Gorentz, Walker and Larson affects its productivity especially in nursery. On soil sterilized and inoculated by the fungus, we tested 5 natural fungicides and 2 synthetic fungicides, to measure their effectiveness on the Pink root disease on onion, in nursery. The device used is a split plot with 4 repetitions and 8 treatments. The measured variables are the emergence rates, the survival rates and the infestation rates. Our experimentations have shown that, for the emergence rates, there is no significant difference between thiophanate-methyl (Pelt 44), Carbendazim (Bavistine), Azadirachta indica A. Juss and Carica papaya L. It is the same between C. papaya and Moringa oleifera Lam, between M. oleifera and Cassia alata L. It is also the same between C. alata and Crotolaria retusa L. Regarding the survival rates, there is no significant difference between thiophanate-methyl, Azadirachta indica , Carbendazim, C. papaya and M. oleifera . The same is true between M. oleifera and Cassia alata , and between C. alata and C. retusa. Concerning the infestation rates, apart from the control check, all other treatments show no difference.