DOI: 10.36347/sjavs.2022.v09i02.001

Pages: 14-22

Field experiment was conducted in 2013 and 2014 cropping seasons at the Teaching and Research Farm of the Federal University of Agriculture Makurdi, Benue State of Nigeria to Assess the incidence of early and late leaf spot disease infection induced by (Cercospora arachicola Hori) and (Phaeoisariopsis persanata [Berk and Curt]) and agronomic performance of some selected groundnuts cultivars in Makurdi, Benue State of Nigeria. These selected groundnut cultivars (treatments) include: Ex-Dakar, Danbomboyo, Borno Brown, Samnut-10, Borno Red, Benue-AGR, Shar-nya, Aloshi, Samnut-22, Tisha-1, Ijiwanda, Sannut-21 and Campalla. The treatments were replicated four times and laid in a randomized complete block design (RCBD). The land and ridges were prepared manually using hoes. The seeds were sown by dibbling per hole on top of four ridges per a plot, each measuring 3 x 2m. Results revealed significant difference (P≤ 0.05) on incidences of early and late leaf spot disease, plant height (cm), canopy spread, pod and haulm yield among the groundnut cultivars evaluated in the two cropping seasons. The incidence of early leaf spot from 44 to 51 DAS and late leaf spot from 59 to 66 DAS were significantly different among the groundnut cultivars. In the first season, Samnut-10 and Samnut-21 did not show symptom of early leaf spot disease at 45 DAS and recorded the lowest incidence of early spot disease at 52 DAS; and also the least incidence of late leaf spot disease from 59 to 66 DAS compared to other cultivars respectively. In the second season, Campalla, Samnut-10 and Samnut-21 did not show symptom of early leaf spot disease at 45 DAS and had the lowest early leaf spot disease at 52 DAS. The lowest late leaf spot incidence was observed among Samnut-10 and Samnut-21 from 59 to 66 DAS. Tish-1 had the tallest plant height and widest canopy spread from 55 to 75 DAS in the first season and second season, whereas the widest canopy spread was observed among Campalla, Tisha-1, Aloshi, ...