Taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott) is an important staple food crop for millions of people in developing countries. Taro production is constrained by many diseases of which leaf blight, caused by Phytophthora colocasiae Raciborski, is the most destructive and it accounts for up to 80% yield loss of taro in many countries. In Ghana, the disease accounts for 25 – 50% yield loss. Non-sustainability of cultural control method and the use of resistant varieties have compelled some farmers to abandon their fields while others have converted their farms to dry season vegetable farming. In this study, copper and metalaxyl fungicides were tested for the control of leaf blight disease of taro. In vitro fungicidal activity tests and field evaluation showed that Ridomil Gold Plus 66 WP (6% metalaxyl-M + 60% copper (I) oxide) and Metalm 72 WP (12% metalaxyl + 60% copper (I) oxide) at 50 g in 15 litres of water (3.3g/L) and Nordox 75 WG (86% cuprous oxide) at 75 g in 15 litres of water (5 g/L) are effective for the control of leaf blight disease of taro at 4 weekly intervals for five consecutive months in the wet season.
In an attempt to establish the cause of reported death of shea trees at Maluwe and Gindabo in the Northern Region of Ghana, a survey of mistletoes on shea trees was conducted. In August 2018, 50 shea trees were randomly sampled at each study site and inspected for the presence of mistletoes. Two species of mistletoes, Tapinanthus bangwensis (Engl. & K Krause) Danser and Agelanthus dodoneifolius (DC) Danser were identified on shea trees. Agelanthus dodoneifolius was the dominant mistletoe species at both Maluwe (50% infestation) and Gindabo (84% infestation). None of the mistletoe infested trees were found dead at both study sites. An epiphytic plant, Ficus popenoei Standl. was identified on a shea tree at Gindabo. Further studies need to be conducted to determine the distribution, severity and impact of mistletoes on the productivity of the shea trees.
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