Article

Host plant response of faba bean varieties to chocolate leaf (Botrytis fabae) spot at Debub Ari District of South Omo, Southwestern Ethiopia

Abstract

Botrytis fabae, which causes faba bean chocolate spot is key issues which reduces faba bean production and productivity in Ethiopia. Various better varieties were released in the country Ethiopia but those varieties were not tested for chocolate leaf spot in the thematic areas of South Omo, Southwestern Ethiopia. Therefore, this experiment was concerned to evaluate the host plant response of varieties to disease at Gedir and Deli farmer associations of district during the 2020 and 2021 main cropping seasons. Field experiment revealed that the mean percent severity ranges from 12.22 to 41.85% and variation in the area under the disease progress curve ranged from 384.26 to 731.12 units day-1 and for two locations, the disease progression rate ranged between 0.0115 and 0.04 units per day among tested faba bean varieties. Tested varieties revealed different reaction types in which, 6.7% resistant, 76.9% moderately resistant, and 15.4% susceptible responses. Across fields and seasons, the Numan variety exhibited reliable resistance response against chocolate leaf spot and it also resulted best yields. Thus it is better to use the Numan variety with appropriate management options in production to reduce the disease epidemics in faba bean-producing areas of South Omo, Southwestern Ethiopia.

Keywords: Botrytis fabae, Chocolate leaf spot, percent severity, varieties, Yield.