Effect of Moringa (Moringa oleifera) Plant Parts Extracts on Cercospora (Frogeye) Disease of Sweet (Bell) Pepper (Capsicum annuum L)
E. M. Nwokeji *
Department of Crop Science and Technology, School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria.
V. E. Ogwudire
Department of Crop Science and Technology, School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria.
S. E. Okere
Department of Crop Science and Technology, School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria.
P. C. Anyanwu
Department of Crop Science and Technology, School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria.
J. K. Obianigwe
Department of Crop Science and Technology, School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria.
G. O. Ihejirika
Department of Crop Science and Technology, School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
An experiment was conducted in 2018 at the Teaching and Research Farm of the Department of the Crop Science and Technology. School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria. The study was done to evaluate the responses of cercospora leaf spot fungal disease of sweet (bell) pepper to moringa plant parts aqueous extracts, (moringa leaf, seed and stem bark). The study was laid out in a Randomized complete Block Design (RCBD), replicated five times. Pepper growth and yield parameters, disease incidence and severity were assessed. Analysis of variance showed that the moringa plant parts extracts significantly affected the pepper leaf area (cm2), number of fruits, cercospora disease incidence and severity. Leaf area significantly increased at two weeks (49.44 cm2) and 8 weeks (84.36cm2) of transplanting respectively, treated with moringa stem bark (msb). Similarly, msb significantly reduced cercospora leaf spot incidence (66.60 %) at 2 weeks of transplanting and severity (1.27) at 8 weeks of transplanting, respectively. Considering the effects of moringa stem bark extract on the pepper leaf area, the cercospora disease incidence and severity, recommendation should, therefore, be given to the use of moringa stem bark extract in the management and control of cercospora leaf spot disease of sweet (bell) pepper. In addition, more research should be directed to find out the specific chemical compositions of moringa stem bark aqueous extracts that were responsible for the high performance in the study, as more researches had been done on moringa leaves than on its stem bark.
Keywords: Evolutionary Cytogenetics, Moringa, Homosporous ferns, plant parts extracts, Multiple origins of polyploidy ferns, cercospora, Capsicum annuum