Comparative effects of organic soil amendments and carbofuran on Meloidogyne incognita and cacao growth

Abstract

This investigation was conducted to evaluate the effects of four organic soil amendments (cow dung, cocoa pod husk, poultry manure and wood ash) and carbofuran treatments on Meloidogyne incognita inducing root-knot disease of cacao seedlings. All soil treatments reduced the nematode population in soil and root of cacao seedlings compared to the control. Poultry manure, cow dung and cocoa pod husk accounted for a significant (p=0.05) increase in shoot-biomass production, plant height, stem girth and dry root weight, as compared to carbofuran treated plants and control, thereby exhibiting the most pronounced effect on plant growth and performance. The significance of these findings is discussed in relation to the use of organic amendments as a nematode disease control measures on cacao seedlings.

Keywords: Organic amendments, Meloidogyne incognita, cacao seedlings, carbofuran

IJOTAFS Vol. 1 (1) 2007: pp. 13-17