Effect of Copper Nanoparticles on Incidence and Severity of Fusarium wilt and Fruit Yield of Tomato (<i>Solanum lycopersicum L.</i>)

Wilt in tomato plants is often caused by Fusarium oxysporium f. sp. lycopersici. Chemicals, which are highly hazardous, are mostly used to control the disease. It is therefore, desirable to have alternative control mechanisms that are safe and affordable. Screenhouse and field experiments were conducted at the Teaching and Research Farm, Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo, Nigeria, to assess the impact of copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) on Fusarium wilt and fruit yield of two tomato varieties (Beske and Kerewa). The treatments were applied at concentrations of 5, 10, and 15 ppm. The untreated plots served as control. Results showed that Kerewa treated with 15 ppm Cu-NPs recorded lower disease incidence in the screenhouse (2.1%) and on the field (22.2%). Furthermore, in the screenhouse, Kerewa treated with 15 ppm Cu-NPs had lower disease severity (0.6) while on the field, both Beske and Kerewa treated with 15 ppm Cu-NPs had no disease incidence (0.0 and 0.0, respectively). Beske produced significantly higher fruit yields of 151.7 and 795.8 kg/ha in the screenhouse and field trials, respectively. The research findings indicated that the use of Cu-NPs at a rate of 15 ppm significantly decreased Fusarium wilt infection and increased tomato fruit yield.