Incidence and severity of taro (Colocasia esculenta L.) blight disease caused by Phytophthora colocasiae in the Bono Region of Ghana

International Journal of Agriculture & Environmental Science

© 2020 by SSRG - IJAES Journal

Volume 7 Issue 2

Year of Publication : 2020

Authors : Muntala Abdulai, Patrick Mawuenyegan Norshie, Kwadwo Gyasi Santo

10.14445/23942568/IJAES-V7I2P112

How to Cite?

Muntala Abdulai, Patrick Mawuenyegan Norshie, Kwadwo Gyasi Santo, "Incidence and severity of taro (Colocasia esculenta L.) blight disease caused by Phytophthora colocasiae in the Bono Region of Ghana," SSRG International Journal of Agriculture & Environmental Science, vol. 7,  no. 2, pp. 52-63, 2020. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/23942568/IJAES-V7I2P112

Abstract:

Taro leaf blight (TLB), a major disease of taro plant caused by Phytophthora colocasiae, a pseudo-fungus, and it occurs in many taro producing regions, especially in the southern part of Ghana. In the year 2019/2020, a survey was carried out in the Bono Region to determine the incidence and the severity of the disease in various taro fields. Infected samples were collected and the pathogen was isolated using potato dextrose agar (PDA). The pathogen was identified as P. colocasiae based on morphological characteristics. Naturally infected taro leaf and petiole samples were physically assessed and computed using the following formulae: Percentage incidence was equal to the number of infected plants over the total number of plants in a visited field/plot, multiplied by 100. The disease severity was calculated and scored on a 5-point scale as follows: Area of leaves infected over the total area of leaves, multiplied by 100. The results showed a wide-spread occurrence of the disease with varied degree of severities. Though, there was no significant difference in the disease incidence between Dormaa-Central (49.43 %) and Sunyani (54.21%) municipalities (P = 0.344), the disease was more severe in the latter municipality where the scores ranged from 1.383 – 1.705 than in the former municipality with a range of 0.756 – 1.674. Overall, the incidence and severity of the disease were significantly higher during the rainy period than in the dry period in both munic

Keywords:

Phytophthora colocasiae, taro leaf bight, incidence, severity, wet and dry period.

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