Eco-friendly approach for the control of mixed virus infections in pepper and its associated weeds

Abstract

The knowledge of weed flora as reservoir of viruses is essential in order to reduce the spread of plant viruses. The study examined an eco-friendly approach to control mixed virus infection in pepper and weed species on the field of a local variety of pepper 'Shambo' by mulching with different types of materials which include Terminaliacattapa leaf at 10t/ha, Terminaliacattapa leaf at 15t/ha, white polythene sheet, sawdust at 30t/ha, white on black polythene sheet and the hoe weeded plot as control. These treatments were laid in randomized complete block design with three replications. The titres of Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) and Potyvirus in mixed infections in the leaves of pepper and the leaves of the weed species found on the pepper plots were determined using antigen-coated enzyme- linked immunosorbent assay (ACP-ELISA). Results revealed that the titres of the two viruses were greatly reduced in both the leaves of pepper and weed species except in two weed species; Tanilumfructicosum, found in the white plastic mulched plot with a titre value of 1.78 and Mariscusflabelliformis found in the hoe-weeded plot having a titre of 1.18. Generally, the concentrations of Potyvirus in the leaves of pepper were higher than that of CMV. Similarly, in the weed species, Potyvirus had higher titres than CMV. A total of 12 weed species were found in the plot mulched with Terminaliacattapa leaf at 10t/ha while a total of 5 weed species were encountered on the plot mulched with white on black polythene sheet. The research concluded that the black on white plastic was efficient in the control of mixed viral infection in plants.