Effect of Poultry Manure on Incidence and Severity of Foliar Diseases and Weed of Telfairia occidentalis (Ugu) Intercropped with Cassava and Maize

Abstract

Fluted pumpkin is dominantly grown in mixtures and sometimes sole in Southeastern Nigeria. However the yield and quality of Telfairia in these mixtures are unknown. The study investigated the effect of different rates of poultry manure and intercropping on foliar disease severity and weed incidence of Telfairia occidentalis. The field was laid out in a 4 x 5 factorial arrangement fitted into a randomized complete block design and replicated three times. The treatments consist of five levels of organic manure (0, 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10) t/ha which were applied on four intercrop combinations (Telfairia-sole; Telfairia and cassava; Telfairia and maize; Telfairia, cassava and maize). The parameters assessed were leaf spot disease, leaf blight disease and weed incidence. The result showed that the intercrop had a significant effect on disease and weed incidence whereas Telfairia-sole recorded the highest foliar disease with values of 2.73, 2.80, 3.40 for leaf spot; 2.60, 2.93, 3.26 for leaf blight; and 31.47, 69.70, 123.5 for weed incidence at 4, 8 and 12 weeks after emergence (WAE). Poultry manure recorded no significant effect on leaf spot disease and weed incidence at 4 and 8 WAE but recorded a significant effect on leaf spot disease with the highest value of 2.92 at poultry manure rate of 0.0 t/ha at 12 WAE. The interaction recorded no significant effect.

Keywords: Disease, Severity, Weed, Incidence, Poultry, Manure, Intercropping