TITLE:
Influence of Microorganisms Effective against Basal Rot and on Agronomic Parameters of Onion [Allium cepa L. (Amaryllidaceae)]
AUTHORS:
Henriette Doukahonon Guigui, Bi Zaï Pacôme Zaouli, Alain Serge Coulibaly, Juliette Ky Dedi
KEYWORDS:
Basal Rot, Effective Microorganisms (EM), Fusarium sp., Onion
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Agricultural Chemistry and Environment,
Vol.13 No.3,
August
7,
2024
ABSTRACT: Onions are a horticultural crop of great economic, dietary and medicinal importance, and are highly prized by the Ivorian population. However, production remains low, due to a number of constraints, including parasitic attacks. The most frequent is fusariosis caused by Fusarium sp., a pathogen that causes enormous damage to onion crops. Faced with these attacks, chemical control appears to be ineffective, with consequences for human health and the environment. This is why the search for effective alternative methods that respect the environment and human health is so necessary. It is in this context that this study was carried out, with the general aim of controlling fusarium wilt in onion crops, with a view to improving onion production in Ivory Coast through the use of effective microorganisms. The experimental set-up used for this purpose was a fisher block with complete randomization, comprising three replicates. A fungal spore concentration of 106 spore/mL of Fusarium sp., three doses (1%; 2.5% and 5% v/v) of EM and one dose of a chemical fungicide (30 mL/16L) were tested on young onion plants. Each block consisted of nine sub-plots with nine treatments. Health parameters (incidence and severity) and agronomic parameters (growth and yield) were assessed. Microbiological analysis of the EM revealed the presence of nine morphotypes of Trichoderma sp., Aspergillus clavatus, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus sp., Penicillium sp., Rhizopus sp., lactic acid bacteria of the Bacillus family and the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Field experimentation showed that the 5% EM microbial solution reduced the incidence and severity of fusariosis compared with the chemical fungicide, and proved to be the best. This dose reduced yield losses by 7.14%, while improving onion growth and yield by over 5%. The results demonstrated the ability of the EM solution to effectively control the causal agent of basal rot in onion crops.