Effect of mustard green manure and dried plant residue on chickpea wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciceris)

Abstract

Pot experiments were carried out in the green house at Amhara Regional Agriculture Research Institute (ARARI) Bahirdar, Ethiopia, to evaluate the potential of Brassica carinata cultivars, namely Holleta-l, S-67 and Yellow Dodola in 2007 and 2008. The effect of B. carinata (Ethiopian mustard) cultivars Holleta-1, S-67 and Yellow Dodola as green manure and Holleta-1 as dried plant residue on chickpea fusarium wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciceris) was studied. Six rates of green manure and dried plant residue (0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 g) each per kg of pathogen-infested soil were used in the experiments. Infested soil without B. carinata cultivars amendment as a control and susceptible check variety JG-62 without amendment was used in the experiments. In the experiments, the treatments were arranged in randomised complete block design in three replications and repeated twice. Data on seedling emergence, wilt incidence, fresh weight and dry weight were collected. The amendments of infested soil with B. carinata cultivars green manure and dried plant residue reduced the incidence of chickpea fusarium wilt. The incorporation of the green manure Holleta-1, S-67 and Yellow Dodola at 20–100 g/kg of infested soil was effective in reducing wilt incidences on chickpea. However, the incorporation of Yellow Dodola at 80 and 100 g green manure per kg of infested soil were the best combination in reducing significantly wilt incidence. The application of the dried plant residue at 20–100 g/kg of infested soil was effective in reducing wilt incidences on chickpea. However when applied dried plant residue at 60, 80 and 100 g green manure per kg of infested soil were better in reducing wilt incidence as compared to 20 and 40 g/kg of infested soil. The three cultivars green manure incorporated at different level of doses affected the influence of fusarium wilt on the fresh and dry weight respectively. The use of Holleta-1 green manure at 20–100 g/kg of infested soil significantly reduced disease incidence in the range of 20.0–33.3%. Green manure amendment S-67 significantly reduced disease incidence in the range of 20.0–46.6%. Yellow Dodola reduce disease incidence with 26.7–60%. The dried plant residue incorporated at different level influence fusarium wilt. The application of Holleta-1 dried plant residue at 20–100 g/kg of infested soil reduced disease incidence in the range 20.0–26.7%. The results imply the potential of using B. carinata green manure and dried plant residue as cultural management components in chickpea fusarium wilt disease management.

Keywords:

• chickpea
• Brassica carinata
• Yellow Dodola
• seed meal
• green manure
• plant residue
• Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciceris

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by Development Innovation Fund project (DIF) of World Bank through Haramaya University, Bureau of Agriculture and SWHISA Canada of Amhara Regional State. The authors thank Amhara Agricultural Research Institute for providing green house and Dr. Firew Mekbib for editing the manuscript.