Novel Organic Fertilisers for Management of Root-Knot Disease of Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill]

Abstract

Organic farming is currently receiving great impetus in Africa due to its potentials to improve nutrition, income and livelihoods of resource-poor smallholder farmers. Sustainable management of root-knot nematodes in organically grown soybean remain a major challenge in Africa. Greenhouse studies were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of three novel organic fertilisers (sunshine, neem, and IAR & T fertilisers) as organic nematicides for control of Meloidogyne incognita (Mi) in a susceptible soybean variety. The organic fertilisers were applied two weeks before planting. All three organic fertilisers were significant (P < 0.05) in reducing (96 – 99 %) Mi nematode populations in soil leading to 86 – 100 % improvement in soybean grain yield. There were high and positive relationships between plant heights stem girth and yield components. Root gall development on test crop was negatively correlated with plant growth (r = - 0.47 to – 0.48) and yield (r = - 0.57 to – 0.59).