Synergistic effects of intercropping green beans with okra on the bacteria blight disease

Abstract

Green bean is a widely consumed as vegetable mostly for its nutritional, health and economic values. In Cameroon, the production is hindered by bacterial blight disease cause by Xanthomonas campestris. The aim of this study is to evaluate the synergistic effects of intercropping green bean with okra on bacterial blight disease of green beans. Beans varieties (local green bean, jackpot green bean and dolly green bean) were planted in a field in a Randomized Complete Block Design with six treatments and three replicates in Department of Crop Production Technology of the University of Bamenda research farms. The first, second and third treatments consisted of inter-cropping of dolly green bean, jackpot green beans and local green with okra and fourth, fifth and sixth consisted of mono-cropped of dolly green bean, jackpot green beans and local green beans varieties which serves as the control experiments. Data was collected for disease incidence, disease severity, and number of pods and weight of pods were recorded in all the fields. Pathogenicity assessment was conducted in the green house by inoculating healthy green bean plants with bacterial blight isolate and lesion area measured. Significant variations (P≤0.05) were observed in disease incidence, disease severity and yield. The highest mean disease incident (100 %) severity (64 %)and low number of pods (4.3) were recorded in monocropped fields and the intercropped fields had lowest mean disease incidence(40 %), severity (23 %)and high number of pods (27.3 ).Inter-cropping green beans with okra can be recommended to control bacterial blight disease of green beans varieties.