Journal of Plant Pathology & Microbiology

Abstract

Searching and Evaluating of Cost Effective Management Options of Garlic White rot (Sclerotium cepivorum Berk) in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia

Zeray Siyoum and Mohammed Yesuf

White rot caused by a soil borne fungus (Sclerotium cepivorum Berk.) is a major production threat of garlic, where ever the crop is grown. The objectives of this study were evaluating the effectiveness of fungicides against garlic white rot, and to determine the cost effectiveness of the fungicides on management of garlic white rot. Field experiment was conducted at Mekelle Agricultural Research Center on garlic white rot naturally infested field in 2010 main crop season. Three fungicides (tebuconazole, captan and mancozeb) were used as a clove treatment. A randomized complete block design with three replications was employed. A total of four treatments were evaluated per replication. All fungicides were effective in reducing the disease epidemics and improving garlic yield over untreated plot. However, among fungicide treated plots tebuconazole was the most effective in reducing the disease epidemics and gave better yield advantage. In tebuconazole treated plots, 83.33%, 74.33% and 75.47% reduced initial, final incidence and severity was recorded respectively, as compared to untreated plot. Significantly higher increment on total and marketable yield was observed in tebuconazole treated plot, as compared to capatan and mancozeb treated and untreated plot. In tebuconazole treated plot, 3.36 t ha^-1 total and 3.18 t ha^-1 marketable yield increments was obtained as compared untreated plot. Tebuconazole treated plot maximized the net benefit, which exceeded by $4,950.340 was obtained over untreated plot. The marginal rate of return on tebuconazole treated plot over untreated plot was 658.201%. Based on the observation and findings garlic is high value crop, and white rot is potential threat in the major garlic growing areas of in the study area. Therefore, application of tebuconazole can be considered as management strategy to reduce disease epidemics and improve garlic yield.