Effect of Aerated and Non-aerated Compost Steepages on the Severity and Incidence of Major Fungal Diseases of Faba Bean; Botrytis fabae, Uromyces vicia fabae and Ascochyta fabae

Faba bean is attacked by a number of fungal diseases, among which Chocolate spot ( Botrytis fabae, Ascochyta blight ( Ascochyta fabae) and rust ( Uromyces vicia faba) are the major ones. Chocolate spot and rust are the major diseases which can reduce yield by about 61 and 21%, respectively. The use of effective synthetic fungicides is one the control options frequently practiced in Ethiopia. Environmental hazard and economic unfeasibility of this option makes the search for environmentally safe, economically affordable and easily available control measures inevitable. This trial is planned to investigate the efficacy of cow and horse dung compost teas against the in vivo growth of Chocolate spot ( Botrytis fabae, Ascochyta blight ( Ascochyta fabae) and rust ( Uromyces vicia faba). The result showed that B. fabae reduced to less than 22% severity by application of aerated cow and horse dung compost teas. It was also possible to lower the severity of A. fabae to 18.5% from treatment of aerated cow and aerated anon aerated horse dung compost teas. Moreover, with the use of aerated cow dung compost extract rust could be minimized to about 22.2% severity. From this experiment, it has become clear that compost teas of the two sources are effective against severity of the three diseases. It is important that thorough investigation is required on the practicality of the compost teas to fully exploit their potential.