COMPARATIVE EFFICACY OF FOUR FORMULATIONS BASED ON AROMATIC PLANT EXTRACT AND A SYNTHETIC FUNGICIDE AGAINST Mycosphaerella fijiensisMORELETCAUSAL AGENT OF BLACK LEAF STREAK DISEASE (BLSD), IN INDUSTRIAL DESSERT BANANA PRODUCTION

Black leaf streak disease (BLSD) caused by Mycosphaerella fijiensisa an ascomycete fungus is the most important foliar disease ofbananas (Musa sp.). Losses due to this pathogen can exceed 50% in case of no resistant cultivars and effective treatments. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of four biopesticides on the severity of Mycosphaerella fijiensis. It was conducted under natural infestation conditions in the industrial dessert banana plantation of the Agricultural Company KablanJoublin (SAKJ) at Elima (Aboisso). To make it possible some phytopathological, growth and agronomic parameters of banana plants were evaluated. The results showed that banana trees of plots treated with biopesticides had identical characteristics, about all the assessed parameters, with those of plots treated with the chemical fungicide. In addition, applications of biofungicide contributed to protecting banana leaves, slowed down the onset of necrotic first stage and significantly reduced the disease infestation level in the parcels. The use of aromatic plant essential oils-based biofungicides could be suggested as an ecological efficient solution to dessert banana and plantain producers against Mycosphaerella fijiensis responsible for the black leaf streak disease.