Studies on the Incidence of Stem and Root Rot Diseases of Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) in Some Towns in Edo Central Senatorial District of Edo State, Nigeria

A survey of root and stem rot diseases in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) was conducted during the 2014 to2016 growing seasons across three locations: Ubiaja, Irrua, and Ekpoma in Edo Central Senatorial Districtof Edo State, Nigeria. The study evaluated disease incidence and varietal resistance using three cucumbervarieties: Technisem, Marketmore, and Poinsett. Soil samples from the rhizosphere were analyzed for tem-perature, pH, and color to determine optimal conditions for cucumber growth and pathogen proliferation.Microbial analysis was performed to assess the role of soil microflora in the disease environment. Pathogen iso-lation was achieved through serial dilution and direct plating on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA). Pathogenicitytests confirmed Pythium aphanidermatum as the causal agent of root and stem rot, verified by Koch’s pos-tulates. The highest disease incidence was observed in Irrua (75%), followed by Ubiaja (70%), with Ekpomashowing the lowest (20%). Among the cucumber varieties, Marketmore exhibited the greatest resistance (40%infection), compared to Poinsett (55%) and Technisem (75%). These findings underscore the importance ofvarietal selection in disease management and suggest that the Marketmore variety may be a more resilientoption for cultivation in affected regions.