TITLE:
Tithonia diversifolia Mulch Stimulates the Growth of Plantain PIF Seedlings and Induces a Less Susceptibility to Mycosphaerella fijiensis in the Nursery
AUTHORS:
Arouna Meshuneke, Cécile Annie Ewané, Robinson Nembot Tatsegouock, Thaddée Boudjeko
KEYWORDS:
Plantain, PIF Seedlings, Mulch, Tithonia diversifolia, Mycosphaerella fijiensis, Vital Stimulator
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.11 No.5,
May
18,
2020
ABSTRACT: Plantain is an important
crop that serves as a staple food and contributes significantly to income
generation for millions of people in tropical and sub-Saharan Africa. Its
cultivation faces the main constraint of
seedlings unavailability in quantity and quality, essential for the creation of
new plantations. The advent and popularization of the plantlets from stem bits
(PIF) in the 2000s raised hopes for solving this problem. However, after about
ten years, the PIF has shown some problems limiting its adoption and should be
improved for more efficiency. The amendment of PIF substrate production with Tithonia diversifolia could be an
alternative to seedlings’ unavailability. This study aims to evaluate the
potential stimulative effect of T. diversifolia mulch on plantain PIF seedlings growth and protection against black Sigatoka
disease (BSD)caused by Mycosphaerella fijiensis. The parameters of
vegetative growth stages and biomarkers accumulation were assessed in sterilized substrate and non-sterilized
substrate conditions. T. diversifolia mulch treatment increases the germination rate, the number of shoots, the
height and the diameter of shoots, the leaf area as well as the seedlings
roots, but it also protects the seedlings against BSD up to about 81% compared to the
control seedlings. It also enhances the accumulation of biomarkers such as
proteins, polyphenols content and defense-related
enzymes (peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase and glucanase). T. diversifolia mulch seems to act in PIF
seedlings production as a vital stimulator. It can therefore be taken as a tool for a
more sustainable and resilient agriculture, and for poverty alleviation
of poor small holder farmers.