Use of Vermicompost in the Control of Rhizoctonia sp: Impact on Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L) Production

Abstract

The area planted for vegetable production is increasing in Côte d'Ivoire while crop yields are decreasing due to low soil fertility, poor application of mineral fertilizers and poor plant development due to pest pressure. The trial carried out at the experimental site of the University Jean Lorougnon Guédé of Daloa, Central-Western Côte d'Ivoire, aims at evaluating the potential of vermicompost to reduce the attacks of the Rhizoctonia sp fungus on the tomato crop and increase its production. The trial was carried out using the Fischer randomized block design where four treatments were repeated four times. Four substrates, composed of mixtures of soils and doses of vermicompost (0, 20, 40 and 60 t/ha), inoculated with the fungus, were used for the cultivation of tomato in pots. Agronomic and phytosanitary parameters were evaluated on tomato plants at the end of the trial. The results showed that the production increased with the addition of vermicompost and this, the higher the dose of vermicompost added. The health of tomato plants was also improved by the reduction of Rhizoctonia sp attacks, especially with the 60t/ha dose, for which the disease severity and incidence indices were the lowest, 15% and 14%, respectively, against 41% and 38% obtained with the control. Vermicompost could be used to control fungal diseases of tomato and improve its production.