Efficacy of Some Plant Mulches and Tomato Cultivars on the Growth Parameters and Wilt of Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) in Owerri, Imo State, South East, Nigeria

The experiment was conducted on the effects of some mulching materials and some tomato cultivars on the growth parameters and wilt disease of tomato. The design used was 3 x 4 factorial in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD), in four (4) replications. The work was carried out in 2015 cropping seasona at the Teaching and Research Farm of the School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria.  on growth parameters and disease incidence on tomato were collected and statistically analyzed, using Genstat Version 4 analytical Software, while the means were separated for difference using Fisher’ Least Significant Difference Protocol. Wilt incidence was significantly (P<0.05) affected by tomato cultivars at the sixth week after transplanting (WAT). Wilt severity was lowest (1.75) at 2nd WAT. The number of fruits for Rio Grande cultivars significantly (P<0.05) increased at 8 WAT. For effective management of tomato wilt, ROMA VF cultivars should be grown under grass, while Tropimech tomato cultivars should be left unmulched.