Field Evaluation of Grain Amarnth Lines to Wet Rot Disease Induced by Choanephora cucurbitarum.

Abstract

Wet rot disease is an important disease of amaranth worldwide. However, information on sources of resistance to this disease in grain amaranth under Nigeria condition is lacking. The objective of this study was to identify sources of resistance to wet rot disease in grain amaranth lines recently introduced under two different ecologies in Nigeria.
Field trials were conducted at Ibadan and Bagauda representing the Derived Savanna and Sudan Sahel zones of Nigeria respectively in 1994, 1995 and 2000.
NH84/444 was susceptible to the disease Ibadan in 1994, 1995 and 2000 while NH84/457-IE was resistant. There was no occurrence of the disease at Bagauda. Higher yields were recorded in Bagauda as compared to Ibadan. Higher seed weight of 5.8t/ha and 5.6t/ha were recorded in 444 and 493-1 in Bagauda respectively. ln Ibadan, the highest of 0.96t/ha was recorded on 457-IE.
Key Words Choanephora cucurbitarum, Disease, Grain amaranth (Amaranthus cruentus. L.), Host resistance