Efficient control of Late Blight of Potato, a disease caused by Phytophthora infestans, through the combined application of plant extracts and various Trichoderma species in an integrated management approach
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63939/0711c361Keywords:
Potato, Phytophthora infestans, Trichoderma, Late Blight, Integrated disease management, plant extractsAbstract
Background: The Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) ranks as the world's fourth most crucial food crop following wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), maize (Zea mays L.) and rice (Oryza sativa L.), offering a well-rounded source of starch, vitamins, and minerals to numerous populations worldwide. Potato late blight, caused by Phytophthora infestans, is an important disease that adversely affects potato growth and tuber yield. Biological agents and plant-derived products may provide alternatives to conventional chemical disease management. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has designated the potato as a key crop for future food security. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of selected bioagents and plant extracts on potato growth, tuber yield, and late blight incidence and control. Methodology: The field experiment was carried out at the Research Farm in the country of Iraq during the 2024–2025 growing season. The experiment was performed in a completely randomized block design with three replicates and nine treatments. The treatments were biotic agents (fungi and bacteria), plant extracts, or an untreated control. Effects of Trichoderma species and plant extracts on plant height, number of tubers, number of branches, tuber yield, disease incidence, and disease control. Results: according to the design of this study, the treatments resulted in differences in plant growth, yield, and disease components. The highest tuber yield (12.85 t/hectare) was recorded with the treatment (T2) using Trichoderma viridi (T2), while the lowest yield was recorded in the control group (7.32 t/hectare). Neem oil showed a significantly higher tuber yield of 11.91 t/hectare compared to the other plant extract treatments. The evaluated treatments significantly affected late blight spread, potato growth, and tuber production. The biotic agent with the best positive effect on tuber yield and vegetative growth was identified, and neem oil emerged as the most effective plant extract among all tested. All tested biotic agents and plant extracts reduced late blight spread compared to the untreated control group, indicating their potential use in integrated disease management programs. Conclusions: Based on the findings of this study, it was concluded that biological agents and plant extracts, such as mustard oil, neem oil, and ginger extract, may be effective in controlling diseases, providing a sustainable alternative to chemical control methods in agriculture. The study demonstrated the effectiveness of plant extracts and biological agents in reducing the spread of late blight and increasing certain growth and productivity indicators by evaluating their efficacy compared to an untreated control group. The study suggests that these methods could contribute to the development of an integrated late blight management program for potatoes.
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