Akinola R Popoola

Title : Control of Wilt (Fusarium oxysporium f.sp lycopersici) of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Using Nanoparticles and Nitrates of Silver

Abstract:

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), one of the most economically important vegetable crops in the world is susceptible to Fusarium wilt, a highly destructive vascular disease. Field experiments to determine the efficacy of nanoparticles and nitrate of silver in the control of Fusarium wilt of tomato were carried out at DfID Tomato Research Farm, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, and Carrick Farm, Iseyin, Nigeria in 2019 and 2021. The field experiments were 2 x 2 x 5 factorials fitted into Randomised Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. The experiment consisted of two tomato accessions, CPTTO/18/106 and CPTTO/18/123, four concentrations each of silver nanoparticles and silver nitrate (10 ppm, 30 ppm, 50 ppm and 100 ppm). Carbendazim was applied as positive control while the negative control plots received no treatment. Data were collected on disease incidence, disease severity, number of leaves, plant height (cm), number of flowers and yield (tons/hectare). Data were subjected to Analysis of Variance using Statistical Analysis System (SAS) 9.1 package and significant means were separated using the Duncan’s Multiple Range Test (p≤0.05). Mycelial spread was least at 10 ppm on the plate culture, indicating that AgNO3 at 10 ppm in-vitro significantly (p<0.05) reduced the growth of the fungi. On the field, tomato treated with 10 ppm AgNO3 had no disease incidence, highest leave number (29.67), tallest plant (68.70 cm), highest number of flowers (68.70) and the highest fruit yield (68.39 tha-1 ) in both 2019 and 2021. Application of AgNO3 at 10 ppm was recommended for the control of Fusarium wilt of tomato in Abeokuta, Nigeria.

Biography:

Prof. Popoola had B.Sc. and M.Sc. Biochemistry (from OAU, Ile-Ife and University of Ibadan, both in Nigeria). He did PhD Applied Microbiology and Plant Pathology at the University of Jos, Nigeria. He had, over the years, applied molecular and nanotechnology in addressing the problems associated with plant health. Prof. Popoola was a visiting scientist at the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture, IITA, Ibadan in 2005. He was also a visiting researcher at the Department of Plant Science (DISPAPA), Napoli University, Italy in 2013. Prof. Popoola was the Principal Investigator in UK’s DfID Research Grant on tomato improvement using marker-assisted selection in conjunction with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. He was the Immediate Past Director, Biotechnology Centre, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria. He has published more than 70 research articles in scientific journals.