Fungal Diseases of Malaysian Taro (Colocasia esculenta) Accessions and Their Field Control
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53797/agrotech.v5i2.1.2026Keywords:
Colocasia esculenta, taro leaf blight, Phytophthora colocasiae, taro accessions, leaf blight disease managementAbstract
Taro (Colocasia esculenta) is an important root crop with significant nutritional and economic value. However, fungal diseases, particularly taro leaf blight, remain a major constraint to sustainable production. This study aimed to evaluate fungal disease incidence among Malaysian taro accessions and explore potential disease management strategies under field conditions. A field survey was conducted on fourteen Malaysian taro accessions to assess leaf blight incidence and symptom development. Symptomatic leaf samples from Putih and Wangi accessions were collected for fungal isolation, morphological characterization, and molecular identification using internal transcribed spacer (ITS) gene sequencing. A field trial was further conducted on Wangi accession to evaluate the effectiveness of selected treatments, including garlic oil + neem oil, Tricho Care, and Amistar® under natural infection conditions. Results showed considerable variation in disease incidence among accessions, with Sarawak, Ulam, and Kumbul recording the highest disease incidence (100%), while Belang exhibited the lowest incidence (10%), indicating potential disease tolerance. Morphological observation revealed variation in fungal colony characteristics. Nevertheless, ITS sequencing confirmed Phytophthora colocasiae as the primary pathogen associated with taro leaf blight, showing 99–100% sequence similarity with GenBank references. Field assessment indicated that treatment T1 (garlic oil + neem oil) was the most effective treatment in reducing disease development in Wangi accession. The outcomes of this study contribute valuable insights into disease susceptibility among Malaysian taro accessions and provide a foundation for the development of effective and sustainable disease control approaches.
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