The Effect of Chemical Seed Treatments on Managing Chocolate Spot [Botrytis fabae (S.)] of Faba Bean at Welkayt and Tsegedie, Western Tigray, Ethiopia

Faba bean (Vicia faba (L).) is one of the important legume crops of the world, mainly it is cash crop and important source of nitrogen in the human diet which corrects the important amino acid deficiencies in cereals. It is considered too low in productivity and chocolate spot (Botrytis fabae S.), is one of the economically important fungal disease. Seed treatment using chemical inducers is one of the management options used to control the seed and soil borne diseases. Therefore, research was conducted to determine the efficacy of seed treatment chemicals on controlling chocolate spot and enhance productivity of faba bean. Six (6) seed treatment chemicals, one Cow urine and untreated seed as control were used to manage chocolate spot at Welkayt and Tsegedie under field condition during the 2015 and 2016 main growing seasons in randomized complete block design with three replications. A variety called “Welqi” was used. Combined analysis of variance in locations showed statistically significant at (P≤0.05) among the treatments of yield and disease reaction data. Minimum disease severity was recorded in Salicylic acid (31.31%) and maximum severity in the control (62.53%). Highest grain yield was obtained from the Salicylic acid treated seed (3198 kg ha-1) and the lowest grain yield was from Ascorbic acid (2231 kg ha-1) non-significant with the control (2488 kg ha-1). Salicylic acid and Apronstar were effective in managing chocolate spot providing more than 18.73% yield advantage in faba bean growing areas so that faba bean productivity could be enhanced though the application of these seed treatment chemicals. Therefore, our faba bean producing farmers has to use the salicylic acid in 10 mM concentration to manage chocolate spot below the threshold level.