Abstract
The study into the outbreak of the blast disease in the oil palm plantation in Akamkpa local government of Cross River state was carried out with the aim of identifying the possible sources of contamination of the oil palm seedlings and also the physicochemical parameters of the soil samples. Fungi associated with the blast disease were isolated using the direct plating and bait methods while the physicochemical parameters of the soil were determined using standard methods. The symptoms of the blast disease in the palms begins with rotting of the tips of the roots and then further spreads into the media zone of the cortex resulting in the eventual death of the palm. Fungi isolated from different portion of the affected seedlings, water and soil samples include Pythium, Phytothora, Macrophomina, Aspergillus and Penicillium spp. The results of the soil physical properties of the soil samples showed the particle size analyses of the soils samples to range from 835 gkg1 to 840 gkg1 respectively. The soil texture was sandy loam with an acidic pH ranging from 5.3 to 5.8. The contents of organic matter ranged from 6.10g kg-1 to 14.25 g kg-1, total nitrogen 1.58 g kg-1 to 2.25 g kg-1, available phosphorus 5.08 mg kg-1 to 6.10 mg kg-1 and potassium 1.16 cmol kg-1 to 2.18 cmol kg-1. The result of this study has indicated that the source of water used for the watering of the oil palm nursery serve as the possible source of introduction of pathogenic pathogens to the oil palm seedlings.
Keywords: Blast disease, Oil palm, Contamination, Seedlings Physicochemical parameters, Soil samples
