Bactericidal potential of copper sulphate in the management of bacterial leafspot of pepper ( Capsicum spp.) in southwestern Nigeria

Bactericidal potential of copper sulphate was examined on bacterial leafspot of pepper in the field. Cultivars used were Ibadan local, Hausa local, and Habanero Red. The experiment was laid out in a randomise complete block design with three replicates. At the 8th week after transplanting, disease incidence was 23.33% from pepper plants treated with copper sulphate and 21.67% from oxytetracycline-treated pepper plants were compared to 68.11% from pepper of the untreated plots. Pepper yield in copper sulphate treated plots, Hausa local was 17.08 t/ha, Ibadan local was 17.20 t/ha and Habanero Red was 15.22 t/ha compared to oxytetracycline treated plots with 19.08, 19.18 and 16.95 t/ha from Hausa local, Ibadan local and Habanero Red plots, respectively. It could therefore be concluded that copper sulphate has a promising potential in the management of bacterial leafspot of pepper caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria.