SURVEY AND CONTROL OF TOMATO EARLY BLIGHT DISEASE USING NEEM EXTRACT
Abstract
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is an important vegetable crop valued for its nutritional and economic benefits; however, its production is greatly constrained by early blight disease caused by Alternaria solani. This study was conducted to survey the occurrence of tomato early blight disease and to evaluate the effectiveness of neem (Azadirachta indica) extract as a control measure in selected tomato farms within the study area. A field survey was carried out across six farming communities to assess disease incidence, severity, symptom expression, and farmers’ disease management practices using structured observations and questionnaires.
Results revealed that early blight disease was prevalent across all locations, with symptoms such as brown concentric leaf spots, yellowing, drying of leaves, and stem lesions commonly observed. Experimental results showed that neem extract significantly reduced disease incidence and severity compared to the untreated control, with the 50% concentration performing better than the 25% concentration, although chemical fungicides remained the most effective treatment.
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