EFFECT OF SOIL AMENDMENTS WITH BIO-FUMIGANT CROPS AND ANIMAL MANURE ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF TOMATOES INFECTED WITH FUSARIUM WILT

Abstract

A screenhouse study was conducted to investigate the effects of bio-fumigation with bio-fumigant crops and animal manure on the growth and yield of tomatoes infected with Fusarium wilt. The evaluation was a 4 x 4 factorial experiment arranged in a split-plot design which consisted of bio-disinfectants as the main plot and bio-fumigant crops as a subplot. The 16 treatment combinations were replicated three times. The main plot contained four treatments: poultry manure, cow dung, synthetic fungicide CAMAZEB^® (60% Mancozeb + 40% Carbendazim WP) and untreated soil as control. The subplot constituted three bio-fumigant crops; cabbage, onion, garlic and un-amended soil. Data on growth parameters and yield components were measured and subjected to analysis of variance. Results revealed that tomatoes grown on soil amended with poultry manure and cabbage residues significantly (P≤0.05) produced seedlings with the tallest plant height (83 cm) and the highest number of leaves (154) than the other treatments. Tomatoes with the average highest yield (8.26 t ha^-1), fresh shoot (296.5 g) and fresh root (69.2 g) weights were recorded on tomatoes transplanted on poultry manure and cabbage-amended soil. Decomposition of poultry manure and cabbage released gases lethal to Fusarium wilt pathogen and soil nutrients essential for tomato growth. Based on the results obtained, amending soil with 0.85 kg of poultry manure and 200g of cabbage per plant is recommended as the best treatment combination for sustainable organic tomato production under screenhouse conditions.