EFFECT OF SEED TREATMENT WITH SYNTHETIC PESTICIDE

Field experiment was conducted at the Teaching and Research farm of 
the Department of Crop Science, University of Nigeria Nsukka to compare 
the activity of Cassia alata leaf extract with two synthetic chemical 
fungicides applied as seed treatment on the field performance of Nsukka 
yellow pepper. Four accessions of Nsukka yellow pepper seeds were treated 
with Apron plus 50 Ds (34% furathiocarb + 10% metalaxyl + 6% 
carboxine) and Thiram (tetramety1 thioperoxydicarbonic diamide) each at 
the rate of 30g/100kg of seeds while Cassia alata extracts was used for 
treatment at the rate of 1ml/100g of seeds. The seedlings were transplanted 
into the field 42 days after planting. Data were collected on agronomic 
parameters.

Cassia alata compared favourably well with the synthetic 
chemical fungicide in all the agronomic parameters measured. There were 
no significant differences between the effects of Cassia alata and the 
synthetic fungicides on plant height at 50% anthesis, number of branches 
and number of days to first anthesis. Cassia alata produced better result and 
differed significantly (p=0.05) with the synthetic chemicals in quantitative 
character, such as number of leaves at 50% anthesis and number of flowers 
per plant. The leaf abscission rate was significantly (p=0.05) lower in Cassia 
alata treated plants (10.1%) compared with Apron plus 50 Ds (10.32%) or 
Thiram (11.79%). Cassia alata also reduced the number of days to 50% 
anthesis and number of days to first fruiting (111.7 and 112.7). Evidences in 
this study show that, Cassia alata extract has potential as seed dressing 
pesticide for Nsukka yellow pepper seeds.