<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>Cercospora leaf spot (CLS) and Alternaria leaf blight (ALB) diseases are major constraints to sesame production. Although disease management through intercropping of sesame with maize and foliar-spray with extracts of <italic>Tithonia diversifolia</italic> have been found to be effective, the frequency of application of the extracts required to achieve optimal disease control have not been determined. Therefore, a study was carried out to determine the effect of frequency of application of <italic>T. diversifolia</italic> extract on CLS and ALB diseases of sesame intercropped with maize during the early (June – September) and late (August – November) cropping seasons of 2011. Field experiments laid out in a Randomised Complete Block design and in a split plot arrangement with three replications were conducted in Ejigbo, Nigeria. Treatments consisted of aqueous <italic>Tithonia diversifolia</italic> leaf extract applied at 7.0, 7.5 or 8.0 % (w/v) in one-, two- or three- spray regimes at 2-week intervals from three weeks after planting (WAP) to plots of sesame intercropped with maize; Unsprayed sesame/maize intercrop; sesame/maize intercrop sprayed with Carbendazim (50 %)WP and unsprayed sole sesame plots. Results revealed that CLS and ALB incidence, severity and defoliation were significantly (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05) reduced by three-spray regime of 7.5 % (w/v) <italic>T. diversifolia</italic> extract. The efficacy of 7.5 % (w/v) <italic>T. diversifolia</italic> extract was comparable to that of 8.0 % (w/v) <italic>T. diversifolia</italic> extract or synthetic fungicide (Carbendazim 50 %WP). This study showed that the three-spray regime of 7.5 % w/v <italic>T. diversifolia</italic> leaf extract is sufficient to control foliar diseases of sesame intercropped with maize.</p>
</abstract>

Cercospora leaf spot (CLS) and Alternaria leaf blight (ALB) diseases are major constraints to sesame production. Although disease management through intercropping of sesame with maize and foliar-spray with extracts of Tithonia diversifolia have been found to be effective, the frequency of application of the extracts required to achieve optimal disease control have not been determined. Therefore, a study was carried out to determine the effect of frequency of application of T. diversifolia extract on CLS and ALB diseases of sesame intercropped with maize during the early (June – September) and late (August – November) cropping seasons of 2011. Field experiments laid out in a Randomised Complete Block design and in a split plot arrangement with three replications were conducted in Ejigbo, Nigeria. Treatments consisted of aqueous Tithonia diversifolia leaf extract applied at 7.0, 7.5 or 8.0 % (w/v) in one-, two- or three- spray regimes at 2-week intervals from three weeks after planting (WAP) to plots of sesame intercropped with maize; Unsprayed sesame/maize intercrop; sesame/maize intercrop sprayed with Carbendazim (50 %)WP and unsprayed sole sesame plots. Results revealed that CLS and ALB incidence, severity and defoliation were significantly (p < 0.05) reduced by three-spray regime of 7.5 % (w/v) T. diversifolia extract. The efficacy of 7.5 % (w/v) T. diversifolia extract was comparable to that of 8.0 % (w/v) T. diversifolia extract or synthetic fungicide (Carbendazim 50 %WP). This study showed that the three-spray regime of 7.5 % w/v T. diversifolia leaf extract is sufficient to control foliar diseases of sesame intercropped with maize.

Improving the efficacy of <italic>Tithonia diversifolia</italic> extract in management of foliar diseases of sesame intercropped with maize under tropical conditions

Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture

Agricultura Tropica et Subtropica

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Improving the efficacy of  extract in management of foliar diseases of sesame intercropped with maize under tropical conditions

Cercospora leaf spot (CLS) and Alternaria leaf blight (ALB) diseases are major constraints to sesame production. Although disease management through...

Improving the efficacy of Tithonia diversifolia extract in management of foliar diseases of sesame intercropped with maize under tropical conditions

Published Online: Nov 09, 2021

Page range: 165 - 173

Received: Aug 20, 2020

Accepted: Oct 11, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ats-2021-0017

Keywords
Alternaria leaf blight, Cercospora leaf spot, plant extract, intercropping, spray regimes

© 2021 Muideen Jimoh et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Improving the efficacy of Tithonia diversifolia extract in management of foliar diseases of sesame intercropped with maize under tropical conditions

Published Online: Nov 09, 2021

Page range: 165 - 173

Received: Aug 20, 2020

Accepted: Oct 11, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ats-2021-0017

KeywordsAlternaria leaf blight, Cercospora leaf spot, plant extract, intercropping, spray regimes

© 2021 Muideen Jimoh et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
Alternaria leaf blight, Cercospora leaf spot, plant extract, intercropping, spray regimes