Studies to identify resistant
varieties to the taro leaf blight disease caused by Phytophthora colocasiae and
the corm rot disease caused by Sclerotium rofsii were conducted in the Eastern
Region of Ghana in 2015. The studies comprised a laboratory leaf-disc bioassay
and a field screening experiment. A total of 539 local accessions were
collected from five regions in Ghana and established at Asuansi in the central
region. Four local taro accessions (AS0060, CSRI0004, WR0005, and ER0063) that
showed some level of tolerance to the taro leaf blight disease were selected
after screening with the leaf disc assay and added to 17 other exotic varieties
obtained from the Plant Genetics Resources Institute and screened in the field
at Bososo in the Eastern Region of Ghana to confirm their resistance. A
laboratory leaf disc bioassay was used to confirm the reactions of these
accessions in the laboratory. Data was also collected on the reaction of these
accessions to the corm rot disease. The data were subjected to analysis of
variance using GenStat Discovery version 12. Amongst the 21 taro accessions
evaluated, 4 exotic ones were identified to be Resistant (GA/TLBD/0003,
GA/TLBD/0010, GA/TLBD/0007 and GA/TLBD/0002) to the TLBD and only one local
accession (WR0005) was identified to be Tolerant (R). Most of the Resistant
exotic accessions were also identified to be Susceptible to Sclerotium rot,
whilst the local accessions were Resistant.
Author(s)details:-
Frank Kwekucher Ackah
Department of Crop Science, School of Agriculture, College of Agriculture
and Natural Science, University of Cape Coast, Ghana.
Grace Caselina van
der Puije
Department of Crop Science, School of Agriculture, College of Agriculture
and Natural Science, University of Cape Coast, Ghana.
Elvis Asare-Bediako
Department of Crop Science, School of Agriculture, College of Agriculture
and Natural Science, University of Cape Coast, Ghana.
KingsleyTaah
Department of Crop Science, School of Agriculture, College of Agriculture
and Natural Science, University of Cape Coast, Ghana.
Please see the book
here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/asti/v6/6558
