Influence of poultry litter and rapeseed cake on infestation of Meloidogyne incognita on tomato in Dire Dawa, eastern Ethiopia

Study was conducted at Dire Dawa, Haramaya University Research Station in naturally root-knot nematode infested soil to determine the influence of poultry litter and rapeseed cake application against root-knot nematode infestation in tomato var. Mraglobe. Five levels of poultry litter (control (0), 5, 10, 15 and 20 ton/ha) and three levels of rapeseed cake (control (0), 100, 200 kg/ha) was applied in experimental plot three weeks before transplanting the seedlings. The experiment laid in RCBD factorial arrangement. Application of poultry litre except 5 ton/ha significantly reduced eggs per egg-mass, root galling and final population of root-knot nematode at p 0.001. Rapeseed cake at 200 kg/ha significantly reduced final population and eggs per egg-mass compared to control treatment at p 0.05. Applications of poultry litter at 5 ton/ha to 15 ton/ha in combination with rapeseed cake at 200 kg/ha remarkably suppressed root-knot nematode infestation.