Journal of Applied Biosciences (J. Appl. Biosci.) [ISSN 1997 - 5902]
Volume 7: 214 - 221. Published July 2008.
Effects of poultry litter and carbofuran soil amendments on Meloidogyne incognita attacks on cacao
Orisajo S.B.*^, Afolami S.O.**, Fademi O.* and Atungwu J.J.**
*Plant Pathology Division, Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, PMB 5244, Ibadan, Nigeria.
**Department of Crop Protection, University of Agriculture, PMB 2240, Abeokuta, Nigeria.
^Corresponding author email: sambukki@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
Objective: Growth retardation, galling of the root or complete death of cacao seedlings are the symptoms expressed by root-knot nematode, M. incognita, infestation in the nursery. This experiment was conducted in the nursery to evaluate the effect of poultry litter and carbofuran incorporated into the soil on the population dynamics of M. incognita and cacao growth.
Methodology and results: The experiment was set as a randomized complete block design of a 4-by-3 factorial arrangement with four rates of poultry litter (0, 5, 7, 10g/pot) and three rates of carbofuran (0, 1, 2g/pot). Lower population densities of M. incognita were observed in soils treated with poultry litter and carbofuran compared to the control. Poultry litters at high rates alone or combined with carbofuran consistently stimulated growth of cacao seedlings and reduced root galling and the nematode population densities.
Conclusion and applications of findings: Poultry litter can be used effectively as an organic soil amendment to supply nutrients to the crop and suppress M. incognita populations to reduce damage to seedlings in the nursery. This finding will contribute to reducing the current level of frustration that is faced by resource-poor farmers due to poor establishment of cacao seedlings and high cost of nematicides.
Key words: Organic amendments, Meloidogyne incognita, cacao seedlings, poultry litter, carbofuran.
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