Effects of fertilizer and fungicide application rates on late blight disease and growth of Irish potato (Solanum tuberosum L.)

Late blight disease of Irish potato is caused by an Oomycete Phytophthora infestans is one of the severe crop diseases worldwide that leads to poor production of Irish potatoes. The knowledge in management of the pathogen in terms of variation of nutrition and fungicide in the cultivation of potato remain limited. This study was conducted to determine the effects of nutrition and fungicide variation in relation to potato variety in management of P. infestans in potato crop. The experiment was conducted at Egerton University and Tumaini sites in a randomized complete block design - a split -split plot arrangement with Kenya sherekea and Dutch robjin potato varieties with treatments rates of N-P-K 17:17:17 fertilizer at 0, 90, 135 kg ha-1 and fungicide, Acrobat, 0, 2.5, 3.5 g/L. There was significant (p ≤ 0.05) difference in among the varieties, sites, fertilizer and fungicide levels for disease severity and incidence in the management of late blight in potato crop thus a potential in reduced cost of production and increased yield.