Seed Treatment of Okra with Humic Acid to Control Pathogen of Damping-Off Fusarium Solani.

Abstract

The study was conducted in the fields of the College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences for the 2022 season, University of Baghdad / Al-Jadriya. The study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of soaking the okra seeds of the Hissainawya and Batra varieties with 0.05% Humic acid for 12 hours in controlling the disease of rot, damping off, and root rot caused by the fungus Fusarium solani. The results showed the effectiveness of soaking treatment with Humic acid in reducing the disease incidence with damping off and root rot of okra seeds of the Hissainawya variety when planted in soil contaminated with the pathogen. In comparison, it reached 25% compared to the pathogen treatment only, which amounted to 75% in field conditions after 30 days of sowing. The average infection ratio and severity in okra plants after 70 days of sowing the Hissainawya variety in treating soaking with Humic acid. Besides, the soil spraying after 40 days of sowing in soil contaminated with the pathogen was 26.67 and 41.67%, respectively, with a significant difference from the treatment of the pathogen F. solani, which amounted to 55.67 and 58.33%, respectively. Finally, treating okra seeds of Hissainawya and Batra varieties with Humic acid had a significant effect on increasing plant height and dry weight, in general. Moreover, the Hissainawya variety responded more to the treatment of soaking with Humic acid compared to the treatment of soaking seeds for the Batra variety in field conditions. Key words: Fusarium solani, Humic acid, Soaking seeds, okra.