Incidence and Severity of Bacterial Wilt Disease on Three Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) Varieties in Central Uganda.

Abstract

This study was aimed at evaluating three eggplant varieties for response to bacterial wilt disease, to guide recommendations to farmers in central Uganda. Experiments were conducted at four sites under field conditions in 2016 and 2017 in central Uganda during three planting seasons. Two commercial eggplant varieties, namely, “Black beauty” and “Long purple”, were tested alongside one newly introduced variety, the “Thai long green”. Data was collected on disease incidence, severity and fruit yield. Analysis of variance revealed statistically significant differences in disease incidence, severity, and fruit yield across seasons, varieties and sites. The “Thai long green” variety proved to be a superior in terms of bacterial wilt resistance, showing the lowest levels of mean disease severity (1.5) and incidence (14%). The long purple variety was the most susceptible. “Thai long green” also attained highest average yields (14.86 t/ha), fruit weight per plant (1.2 kg) and fruit number per plant (9), across all locations for the three seasons. Therefore, we recommend promotion of the “Thai long green” variety in the region.