Role and utility of well-protected area (sick plot) for the study of plant diseases in Hamelmalo agricultural fields, Eritrea

A well protected area (WPA) called ‘sick plot’ designed for the study of pathogens and their activity on crops was established at the farm of Hamelmalo Agricultural College, Eritrea with the aims of finding out the soil mycoflora and identify the diseases on various crops grown in the plot. The sick plot, spread in 1032.5 square meter area, having 48 plots each of 3 x 3.5 m with a bio-fencing was planted with some vegetable and field crops for the study of pathogen reactions in the form of symptoms. Dry root rot caused by Rhizoctonia bataticola in Lentils; blights on mustard and cabbage; rusts on chickpea and early blights, fusarial wilts and root-knot nematodal infections on tomato were recorded. This preliminary investigation, Phase-I, was done only to find out the pathogen reactions on the crop plants. It will be continued in various seasons to evaluate colony forming units per gram of soil and to calculate the disease occurrences in Phase-II, and the role of antagosnists and arbuscular micorhhiza on the habitation of variuos field mycoflora in Phase-III.