Experiments were conducted at Arsi Negele. Ethiopia, during the 1988 and 1989 rainy seasons to determine a suitable combination of sorghum panicle trimming (a method used to remove pollinated spikelets), inoculation, and bagging to develop an ergot reslstance screening tcchnique. Results showed that the most suitable method was a singlc inoculation of nontrimmed panicles when anthesis began in a panlcle, followed by bagging. Comparison of resistance ebaluatlon methods suggested that susceptible genotypes could be identrfied by a simplc and rapid vlsual ergot rating on a 1 5 scalc, where I = no ergot and 5 = more than 50%. spikelets In a panicle infected. However, resistance of genotypes should be confirmed by counting infected and healthy spikelets in a few primary branches of panicles. Screening of 213 Ethropian sorghum accesstons led to the identification of six ergot-resistant lines
In Ethiopia extracts from specific plants are used traditionally as natural fungicides in small scale farming systems where synthetic chemicals are out of reach of the average subsistence farmer while no scientific base exists for this practice. Subsequently, methanolic crude extracts from Dolichos kilimandscharicus and Maerua subcordata roots as well as Phytolacca dodecandra berries were screened in vitro for antifungal activity against Botrytis cinerea Pers.:Fr., Fusarium oxysporum Schlechtend.:Fr., Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc., Rhizoctonia solani Kühn,, Botryosphaeria dothidea (Moug.:Fr.) Ces & De Not. and Pythium ultimum Trow, using an agar diffusion method. Compared to the other plants as well as specific standard fungicides for each pathogen, the root extract of D. kilimandscharicus showed the highest broad-spectrum in vitro antifungal activity by inhibiting the mycelial growth of three of the six test organisms. Additionally, in vivo antifungal activity of dry powdered material from these plants against sorghum covered (Sporisorium sorghi) and loose kernel (Sporisorium cruentum) smuts was screened under field conditions by artificially inoculating separate sets of sorghum seed with smut spores before treating with plant material or two traditionally used fungicides, Thiram 1 and Apron Plus 1 that served as positive controls. Although the incidence of both loose and covered kernel smuts were significantly reduced by material from all plant species, the dry powdered berries of P. dodecandra were most effective. Compared to the untreated control, treatment with the plant material as well as standard fungicides resulted in significant yield increases. It was concluded that a rationale has been established for further investigation into the structured utilization of natural vegetation indigenous to Ethiopia in the agricultural industry.
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