Vermicompost and bactericide application minimized common bacterial blight development and enhanced nodulation and agronomic performances of bean varieties in Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

Common bacterial blight (CBB) is an economically important disease that results in quantitative and qualitative yield reductions across the world. Field experiments were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the integration of host resistance, vermicompost (VC) seed soaking, and bactericide foliar application against CBB development, nodulation, and agronomic performances of common bean varieties in southern Ethiopia in 2021 and 2022. Two bean varieties (Remeda [moderately resistant] and Awash‐01 [susceptible]), VC (soaking and non‐soaking), and bactericide spraying (unsprayed, 7‐, 14‐, and 21‐day intervals) were regarded as treatments and factorially arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The combined analysis of variance over years revealed significant (p < 0.05) variations in disease severity, area under disease progress curve (AUDPC), nodule, and agronomic parameters between varieties, VC, bactericide spray intervals, and the interaction of the three factors. Seed soaking with VC and three times foliar bactericide application at the 7‐day interval recorded the lowest terminal disease severity (21.30%) and AUDPC (791.67%‐days) and the highest grain yield (4128.80 kg ha−1), nodule, and other agronomic traits for the variety Remeda over the other treatments. Moreover, the same treatment also obtained the highest net benefit of $2729.88 ha−1 and marginal rate of return of 15.94 over untreated plots of the variety Remeda. Similar trends were observed for the variety Awash‐01. Therefore, the findings indicate that the integration of VC seed soaking, thrice application of bactericide at the 7‐day interval along with the variety Remeda can be employed to curtail the effects of CBB and optimize nodulation and agronomic performances of the crop and is recommended for growers in the study areas.