ABSTRACT
Fusarium verticillioides is a major fungal pathogen of maize causing rots in seed, root,
stalk and ear; seedling blight and fumonisin mycotoxin contamination of grains. Use of
chemicals is being discouraged due to its human and environmental health hazards.
Information on eco-friendly control method against the pathogen is scanty. Therefore, the
efficacies of selected botanicals and microbial agents as eco-friendly control against F.
verticillioides were determined.
Six Quality Protein Maize (QPM) varieties (ART/98/SW5, ART/98/SW4,
ART/98/SW6, OBATANPA, ILE-1-OB, TZPB) and ACR/99/TZL (local check) were
evaluated in the field to identify susceptible varieties used as seed treatments in two planting
seasons in Randomised Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replicates. Seedling
Blight (SB), Lodging after Tasselling (LT) and percentage ear-rot at maturity were assessed
using standard procedures. Aqueous extracts of Tithonia diversifolia, Mirabilis jalapa, Senna
occidentalis and Physalis angulata were evaluated in the laboratory in Completely
Randomised Design (CRD) and on field in RCBD for fungicidal activities against F.
verticillioides at 30.0%, 25.0%, 20.0%, 15.0%, 10.0% and 5.0% (w/v). Four microbial agents:
Trichoderma pseudokoningii, T. harzianum, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Bacillus subtillis
were separately bioassayed at four levels of concentration, alongside carbamate in the
laboratory in CRD and the effective levels of concentration were used on the field in RCBD
as protectants against F.verticillioides. ILE-1-OB, ART/98/SW5 and ACR/99/TZL seeds were
treated with S.occidentalis at 10.0% and T. pseudokoningii at 7.1 x 108 spores/mL using three
coating methods [Cooked-cassava Starch Slurry (CSS), Water Suspension (WS) and Powder
Treatment (PT)] were used alongside carbamate (0.5 g/L). Data were taken on mycelial
growth inhibition (%), germination (%) and yield (kg), and subjected to descriptive statistics
and ANOVA at p=0.05.
Variety ART/98/SW5 with 15.0% ear-rot; 13.0% SB and 18.0% LT was rated highly
resistant. Other five varieties had >30.0% LT; >20.0% ear-rot and SB, rated moderately
susceptible. Aqueous S. occidentalis at 10.0% caused most significant mycelial growth
inhibition (20.1%) followed by M. jalapa (16.7%) at 25% concentration. Inhibitory property
of S. occidentalis produced 3.1% yield increase compared with control. Conversely, T.
diversifolia stimulated rather than inhibit mycelial growth of F.verticillioides by 1.9% at
25.0% concentration resulting in yield reduction by 1.4%. Similarly, P. fluorescens at 1.0x109
cfu/mL significantly inhibited mycelial growth by 51.8% followed by T. pseudokoningii at
UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY
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7.1x108 spores/mL by 44.7%; which indicates high inhibitory potential against
F.verticillioides in the field. Carbamate inhibited mycelia by 34.6% and 10.0% yield increase.
Most effective coating method was CSS with significantly lowest incidence of ear-rot (15.0%)
after carbamate (3.2%) followed by WS (20%) and PT (30%). Trichoderma pseudokoningii as
microbial agent had highest effect (18.0%) on maize germination followed by (15.3%) P.
fluorescens, (13.3%) T. harzianum and (1.6%) B. subtilis. Senna occidentalis and M. jalapa
had significant effect of 11.1% and 8.3% respectively on maize germination compared with
control, while T. diversifolia 3.0% and P. angulata 0.9%.
Use of resistant variety-ART/98/SW5, aqueous extract of Senna occidentalis at 10.0%
concentration and Trichoderma pseudokoningii at 7.1x108 spores/mL provided best treatment
of Fusarium verticillioides of ear-rot disease of quality protein maize. These treatments could
be incorporated into integrated management of the pathogen.
Keywords: Quality protein maize, Fusarium verticillioides, ear-rot disease
AKINBODE, O (2021). Efficacy Of Selected Botanicals And Microbial Agents As Eco-Friendly Protectants Against Fusarium Verticillioides (Sacc.) Nirenberg Ear-Rot Disease Of Maize, Zea Mays L.. Afribary. Retrieved from https://track.afribary.com/works/efficacy-of-selected-botanicals-and-microbial-agents-as-eco-friendly-protectants-against-fusarium-verticillioides-sacc-nirenberg-ear-rot-disease-of-maize-zea-mays-l-2
AKINBODE, Oluwafolake "Efficacy Of Selected Botanicals And Microbial Agents As Eco-Friendly Protectants Against Fusarium Verticillioides (Sacc.) Nirenberg Ear-Rot Disease Of Maize, Zea Mays L." Afribary. Afribary, 11 Apr. 2021, https://track.afribary.com/works/efficacy-of-selected-botanicals-and-microbial-agents-as-eco-friendly-protectants-against-fusarium-verticillioides-sacc-nirenberg-ear-rot-disease-of-maize-zea-mays-l-2. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
AKINBODE, Oluwafolake . "Efficacy Of Selected Botanicals And Microbial Agents As Eco-Friendly Protectants Against Fusarium Verticillioides (Sacc.) Nirenberg Ear-Rot Disease Of Maize, Zea Mays L.". Afribary, Afribary, 11 Apr. 2021. Web. 23 Nov. 2024. < https://track.afribary.com/works/efficacy-of-selected-botanicals-and-microbial-agents-as-eco-friendly-protectants-against-fusarium-verticillioides-sacc-nirenberg-ear-rot-disease-of-maize-zea-mays-l-2 >.
AKINBODE, Oluwafolake . "Efficacy Of Selected Botanicals And Microbial Agents As Eco-Friendly Protectants Against Fusarium Verticillioides (Sacc.) Nirenberg Ear-Rot Disease Of Maize, Zea Mays L." Afribary (2021). Accessed November 23, 2024. https://track.afribary.com/works/efficacy-of-selected-botanicals-and-microbial-agents-as-eco-friendly-protectants-against-fusarium-verticillioides-sacc-nirenberg-ear-rot-disease-of-maize-zea-mays-l-2