Study of citrus disease prevalence on four citrus varieties at the National Institute of Horticultural Research (NIHORT) Mbato, Okigwe, Imo State, Nigeria

Abstract

The studies were conducted to determine the prevalence of diseases on four varieties of citrus. These are sweet orange (Citrus sinensis), tangelo (Citrus paradise X Citrus reticulate), grape (Citrus paradise) and lemon (Citrus limon). The study showed that, tangelo and sweet oranges were more susceptible to fungal attack than grape and lemon. The disease symptoms commonly observed included dieback on the four species of citrus: tangelo (65%), sweet orange (60%), grape (55%) and lemon (40%). An effective integrated management practice including the use of resistant varieties is recommended. Key words: Study, citrus, disease, prevalence, Okigwe, Imo State, Nigeria.