Efficacy of Lemon Grass (Cissus araloides) and Mancozeb Fungicide for the Control of Disease, Growth and Yield of Tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum L.) in Enugu Area, Southeast Nigeria

Abstract

The reliance on synthetic pesticides such as Mancozeb and others has been a common practice among farmers to mitigate these challenges. Mancozeb is a broad-spectrum fungicide widely used for controlling fungal diseases in various crops, including tomatoes. The present study aimed to explore the efficacy of lemon grass and mancozeb fungicide for the control of disease, growth andyield of tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum L.) in Enugu area, Southeast Nigeria.  The study was carried out at the teaching and research farm of the department of Agronomy and Ecological Management, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources Management, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Enugu. The experiment was carried out in 4x3 factorial design in a completely randomised design (CRD) with three treatment replications. The tomato seeds UC18B used for the experiment were obtained from a reputable agro shop in new market, Enugu State. The mancozeb (fungicide) was also procured from Homeland Agro-Chemicals in Ogbette main market Enugu. The bio-pesticides were produced locally. The two bio-pesticides, Lemon grass and Cissus araloides extract, were applied at the rate of 500 milliliter, and a synthetic pesticide (mancozeb) at the rate of 5 grams and 10 grams. Treatment application commenced four weeks after planting and continued till harvest. The result of the experiment showed a significant (p≤0.05) bio-pesticides treatment effect on mean number of leaves per plant, with the control having the highest mean of 52 leaves per plant and 10 gram of application of synthetic fungicide with the lowest mean value of 43 leaves per plant. There was no significant (p≤0.05) interaction effect on the mean number of leaves per plant. The bio-pesticides also showed significant (p≤0.05) treatment effect on mean number of flowers per plant whereas the treatment with 10 grams synthetic fungicide recorded the highest mean value of 4.2 flowers per plant, followed by lemon grass having the mean value of 4 flowers per plant and the control with the lowest mean value of 2 flowers per plant. There was a significant (p≤0.05) interaction effect on the mean of number of flowers per plant. The result also showed significant (p≤0.05) bio-pesticides effect on the plant height, with Cissus araloides having the highest mean value of 58 cm per plant and the control having the lowest mean value of 55 cm per plant. There was no significant (p≤0.05) interaction effect on the plant height. Furthermore the bio-pesticides showed significant (p≤0.05) treatment effect on the weight of fruit per pot whereas treatment with 10 grams synthetic fungicide recording the highest mean value of 4 kg per pot, followed by Cissus araloides having the mean value of 3.6 kg per pot and the control having the lowest mean value of 3 kg per pot. There was no significant (p≤0.05) interaction effect on the mean weight of fruit per pot. The results reveal that the biopesticide influenced the weight of fruits per pot at harvest. The mancozeb fungicide also had an effect on the weight of fruits per pot at harvest, and their interaction significantly impacted the weight of fruits per pot at harvest. It can be concluded that Lemon grass and Cissus araloides are environmental friendly bio-pesticides that can be used as alternatives to synthetic ones for disease control as well as promoting the growth and yield of tomatoes in Enugu State, Southeast Nigeria.