Damping-off Disease of two Pulp and Paper Forest Species (Pinus caribaea Morelet and Pinus oocarpa Schiede) in the Nursery

Abstract

Anexperiment was conducted to assess the effect of four sowing media
(ground granite, sharp river sand, top soil and saw dust) on the incidence of damping-off disease in two pine species, Pinus caribaea and Pinus oocarpa during the wet and dry seasons of 2006/07. The experiment was laid out in a completely randomised design (CRD) replicated three times. A significant effect (P<0.05) was observed as top soil recorded the highest disease incidence in both species. There was no significant effect (P>0.05) between the ground granite and sharp river sand. Saw dust had 0% disease incidence and supported the highest plant height. Fusarium oxysporum was implicated as the causal agent of the disease. There was an inter-seasonal variation inthe disease occurrence in the study area as it was more severe in the rainy season.

Key words: Fusarium oxysporum, Pinus caribaea, Pinus oocarpa, sowing
media, disease incidence