Pesticidi i fitomedicina 2021 Volume 36, Issue 3, Pages: 119-124
https://doi.org/10.2298/PIF2103119J
Full text ( 162 KB)
Efficacy of fungicides in control of turmeric leaf spot caused by Colletotrichum capsici at Tepi, Southwestern Ethiopia
Jibat Merga (Tepi Agricultural Research Centre, Tepi, Ethiopia), mergajibat@gmail.com
Asfaw Mulukan (Tepi Agricultural Research Centre, Tepi, Ethiopia)
Turmeric leaf spot, caused by the pathogen Colletotrichum capsici, is the
greatest damaging disease that limits the production and productivity of
turmeric, and reduces qualitative and quantitative rhizome yields in
Southwestern Ethiopia. A field trial was conducted to evaluate the efficacy
of different fungicides against a disease epidemic of turmeric leaf spot in
Southwestern Ethiopia. The field experiment was performed at Tepi
Agricultural Research Center during the 2019 and 2020 main cropping seasons
using four fungicides: Ethiozeb 80% WP (mancozeb), Prozole 255 EC
(propiconazole), Mancolaxyl 72% WP (mancozeb + metalaxyl) and Ridomil Gold
MZ 68 WG (metalaxyl-M), which were applied either as seed rhizome treatments
plus foliar spray, or as foliar spray alone for control of leaf spot
infection. The field experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block
design with nine treatments and three replications. The results of the
experiment indicated that both rhizome treatment + foliar spray, and foliar
fungicide spray treatments significantly affected the turmeric leaf spot
epidemics. The effect of the foliar spray Prozole 255 EC (propiconazole) was
significantly higher than the other treatments in reducing disease severity
(27.0) and maximizing rhizome fresh yield (34.1 ton/ ha). The maximum cost
benefit ratio (1:2.65) was achieved by the foliar spray fungicide Prozole
255 EC (propiconazole). Amongst different fungicides considered, the foliar
spray Prozole 255 EC (propiconazole) reduced leaf spot disease incidence up
to 47.1% over the control on the last day of disease evaluation. The whole
outcome of this experiment showed that foliar Prozole 255 EC (propiconazole)
fungicide sprays were effective in alleviating the epidemic of turmeric leaf
spot and boosting turmeric production and productivity.
Keywords: Colletotrichum capsici, turmeric, fungicides, yield, Ethiopia