INCIDENCE OF COCOYAM (COLOCASIAE ESCULENTA (L) SCHOTT) LEAF BLIGHT IN NORTH CENTRAL NIGERIA

Abstract

Cocoyam (Colocasiae esculenta (L) Schott), a member of the Araceae family is a staple food in many developing countries in Africa, Asia and the Pacific Island. It is produced mainly in Africa but its production is constrained mainly by cocoyam leaf blight (CLB) disease. The disease causes destruction of leaf and corm. Knowledge pertaining to CLB disease incidence in farmers' fields in North Central Nigeria is limited. A survey of cocoyam in farmers' fields was carried out in three North Central States in 2019 and 2021 rainy season. The highest disease incidence under natural infection in farmers' fields during rainy season in the three States was recorded in 2019 in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area (LGA) (92.07%) of Plateau State while the lowest was recorded in Akwanga LGA (80.15%) of Nasarawa State. The highest and lowest disease incidence recorded in 2021 were in Buruku and Logo LGAs with (88.65%) and (81.16%) both in Benue State respectively. This indicated high level of infection/prevalence of the diseases in the study areas. Overall, there was no significant difference (p≤0.05) in the disease incidences and the interactions between years, communities, LGA and states. The high incidences of this disease present a threat to the production of cocoyam in the study areas. Keeping in view the importance of cocoyam and losses caused by cocoyam leaf blight pathogen, preventive disease control strategies should be adopted to combat and check the epidemic in the study areas, Nigeria and beyond since blight disease, when present, spreads at a faster rate. This can be made possible through further molecular characterization of the Phytophthora spp. that will ascertain variability within the causal pathogen.