Screenhouse studies on the effects of bio-fumigant crops and animal manure on growth and yield of Fusarium wilt infected tomatoes

Abstract

A study was conducted to investigate the effects of bio-fumigation on growth and yield of tomato infected with Fusarium wilt. The  experiment was carried out in the screen house of the Federal College of Horticultural Technology Dadin Kowa, Gombe State, in May –  July, 2015 and was repeated in September – November, 2015. The trial was a 4 x 4 factorial arranged in a split plot design consisting of  poultry manure, cow dung, CAMAZEB® (60% Mancozeb + 40% Carbendazim WP) as check and un-amended soil (control) as the main plot,  while biofumigant crops (cabbage residues, garlic and onion) and soil untreated constituted the sub plots. Poultry manure or cow  dung at the rate of 0.85 kg and 200g of sliced cabbage residues, onion or 100 g of sliced garlic were separately mixed with 4 kg of soil and  incorporated in to the respective containers as growing media. Treatments were replicated thrice. Data on the growth parameters  and yield components of the two experiments were pooled before subjected to analysis of variance. Tomatoes grown on soil amended  with poultry manure and cabbage residues significantly (P≤0.005) produced tallest seedlings with highest number of leaves and branches  than the other treatments. At 10 weeks after transplanting tallest tomato plants were obtained on soil amended with poultry manure and cabbage (81.6cm) which were at par with those grown on cow dung and cabbage amended soils (80cm). Poultry manure +  cabbage and cow dung + cabbage exhibited same effect on leaf production and branching. Tomatoes with highest yield (1.82kg plant-1 ),  fresh shoot (297.8g) and fresh root (69.9g) weights were recorded on tomatoes transplanted on poultry manure and cabbage amended  soil. Based on the results obtained, amending soil with 0.85 kg of poultry manure and 200g of cabbage is recommended as bio-fertilizer  for sustainable tomato production under screen house or green house conditions.