Evaluation of some botanicals as alternative to chemical fungicide in the rapid multiplication of cassava

The use of plant extracts (botanicals) standard neem, pepper fruit, uziza and wool ash as local alternatives to chemical fungicides in the rapid multiplication of cassava was studied for two years. The per cent sprout, sprout vigour and per cent fungal soot were found to be dependent on the treatments and were optimized in 2-node cassava stakes treated with standard neem extract. Standard neem extract and Tecto 60 (chemical fungicide) had similar significant (P = 0.05) control over fungal soot. The significant growth differences among the treatments with the optimum at standard neem extract indicates the need to adopt neem extract as the best local plant extract as an alternative to chemical fungicides, using 2-node cassava technique in the rapid multiplication of cassava.