EFFECT OF BROILER DROPPINGS AND MYCORRHIZA FUNGI ON THE CONTROL OF MELOIDOGYNE INCOGNITA ON YIELD OF CUCUMBERS (CUCUMIS SATIVUS L.)

Screen house and field experiments were carried out to evaluate and compare the activities of mycorrhiza fungi and broiler droppings on root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita infecting cucumber, Cucumis sativus (L) yield. The experiment was designed as a 2 by 5 factorial fitted into a Complete Randomised Design (CRD) and Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) for screen house and field experiments respectively. Two levels each of the two treatments were evaluated both in the screen house and on field. Root grow (mycorrhiza fungi) was evaluated at the rate of 0.5 g and 1.0 g while broiler droppings was evaluated at the rate of 50 g and 100 g. The effects of treatments on cucumbers’ yield were determined both in the screen house and on field. All data collected were subjected to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and where treatment means were significant, multiple comparison of treatments were done using Tukey’s honesty significant difference at 5 % level of significance. Broiler droppings at 100 g and 50 g were more effective in controlling nematode than the two levels of Root grow (mycorrhiza fungi). Cucumber’s yield was best with broiler droppings at 100 g followed by broiler droppings at 50 g. Yield was increased in all plants treated compared with the control. The result showed that broiler droppings and root grow (mycorrhiza fungi) can be used in controlling root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita on cucumber.