Effect of intercropping on cassava bacterial blight caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. manihotis in Togo

Agnassim Banito, Essotina Kossi Kpémoua, Ekanao Tedihou and Kerstin Wydra

Net Journal of Agricultural Science
Published: October 11 2022
Volume 10, Issue 4
Pages 66-71

ABSTRACT

Bacterial blight is one of the biotic constraints to cassava production, affecting yield and cuttings. To contribute to preventing farmers from yield losses, the present study investigated the effect of intercropping cassava with common staple crops in Togo on the development of cassava bacterial blight under field conditions in four agroecological zones of the country. Cassava was intercropped with maize (Zea mays L.) in the forest-savanna transition zone at Davié, in the forest lowland zone at Adéta, in the forest highland zone at Danyi, and in the wet savanna zone in Sotouboua. Additionally, cassava was intercropped with taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott.) in the forest highland zone at Danyi. Border plants of cassava for each treatment were inoculated with a bacterial suspension of 10⁷ cfu/ml. Bacterial blight severity was significantly reduced compared to sole cassava in the forest highland in cassava-taro and cassava-maize intercropping (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01 in 2000 and 2001, respectively), in the forest lowland in cassava-maize intercropping (p = 0.002 in 2001), and in cassava-maize intercropping in the wet savanna zone (p < 0.001 and p < 0.01 in 2000 and 2001, respectively), with generally no significant negative effect on cassava root yield. Though significant, disease reductions by intercropping generally were low (10 to 24%). Since no varieties with complete resistance to the disease had been identified among local and local improved varieties across ecozones in Togo, the combination of medium resistant varieties and an intercropping system, both adapted to the respective ecozone, can be recommended to farmers as part of integrated control measures against bacterial blight of cassava.

Keywords: Cassava, bacterial blight, intercropping, control, Togo.

Full Text PDF