Influence of Seedling Age at Inoculation and Cultivar on the Pathogenicity of a Virus Causing Yellow Mosaic Disease of Commelina Benghalensis L. on Cowpea

Abstract

A screenhouse experiment was conducted to evaluate the influence of seedling age at inoculation and cultivar on pathogenicity of the virus causing yellow mosaic disease of Commelina benghalensis L, a broad leaf weed, on cowpea. Three cowpea varieties namely Vita 5, IT84S2246D and Ife Brown were grown in pots and inoculated with sap extracted from leaves of C. benghalensis infected with yellow mosaic disease at 7, 14, and 21 days after germination (DAG). It was found that inoculation of cowpea seedlings at 7 DAG subsequently led to the most severe symptoms, which were manifested by mosaic and yellowing of leaves and eventual poor growth and yield attributes. On the other hand, plant growth and yield attributes that were comparable to those of the healthy control plants were recorded for plants inoculated at 21 DAG. Specifically, in regards to the interaction effects, cv. Vita 5 that were sap-inoculated at 7 DAG had the lowest yield attributes, while cv. IT84S2246D inoculated at 21 DAG had the highest yield attributes. The results put together showed that although the yellow mosaic virus of C. benghalensis was sap-transmissible and pathogenic to cowpea causing characteristic yellow mosaic disease symptoms and reduction in yield attributes, severity of the disease is less if infection occurs at older stage of cowpea growth.

Parthenium hysterophorus alleviates wilt stress in tomato plants caused by Ralstonia solanacearum through direct antibacterial effect and indirect upregulation of host resistance

“…This resulted in a higher suppression of the pathogen population in soil, which leads to a decrease in disease severity and an enhancement in plant growth and yield. Similar results were obtained by Aliyu et al. (2010) , who reported increased yield and growth of cowpea by applying Azadirachta indica leaf powder at 14 DBT.…”

“…This resulted in a higher suppression of the pathogen population in soil, which leads to a decrease in disease severity and an enhancement in plant growth and yield. Similar results were obtained by Aliyu et al (2010), who reported increased yield and growth of cowpea by applying Azadirachta indica leaf powder at 14 DBT. The maximum safe amount of P. hysterophorus powder was then evaluated for managing bacterial wilt of tomato in field conditions by using the best application time 15 days before transplantation and method of application (mixing).…”

Biological Characteristics and Control Methods of Benghal Dayflower [<i>Commelina benghalensis </i>L.]

“…In addition to its allelopathic effects on crops, the weeds appears to be an important virus pool, thus constituting a major constraint on efforts to increase and sustain food production [45]. As a key host for plant pathogens, Benghal dayflower is closely related to the outbreak of crop epidemics [13].…”