Nguetrapouna Issofa^{1, 2}, Mbenoun Masse Paul Serge³, Meguekam Tekam Liliane¹, Mbouobda Hermann Désiré^{1, 4}, Manuela Diobe Motassy^{1, 5}, Mbansie Gbetkom Louhd³, Djeuani Astride Carole^{1, 5,}

The overall objective of this work was to apply beneficial fertilizers to improve growth in L. esculentum while evaluating their impact on Fusarium oxysporum and pest attacks. The work was conducted under two conditions (in greenhouses and outdoors). The Rio Grande and Kéro F1 varieties of L. esculentum were used. The experimental design was a complete block with four treatments applied, control, NPK, black soldier fly frass fertilizer (BSFFF), and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Agronomic growth parameters, disease incidence and severity, and the various pests responsible for the attacks were evaluated. In the presence of the BSFFF treatment, an average height increase of L. esculentum plants of 30% was observed for the Kéro F1 variety in greenhouses and 19% for the Rio Grande variety (outdoors) compared to the controls. Similarly, the values of the parameters diameters at the collar, 48.44% for Rio Grande (greenhouse) and 17% for Kero F1 (outside greenhouse); leaf area, 45% for Rio Grande (greenhouse) and 60% for Rio Grande (outside greenhouse), are also influenced by BSFFF compared to the controls. In the greenhouse and outside the greenhouse, plants inoculated with AMF presented a colonization rate of 70% and 60% compared to the controls. The evaluation of the effect of BSFFF and AMF on plant health showed that the development of the disease occurs according to the treatments. There is a significant reduction in the severity of the diseases in plants having received AMF and BSFFF treatment compared to the controls, with respectively -15% and -7% (greenhouse) and -16% and -8% (outside greenhouse). This reduction appears more remarkable on Fusarium wilt caused by F. oxysporum. In view of these results, the use of BSFFF and AMF could be an avenue to explore in the context of soil fertilization and plant protection during the cultivation of L. esculentum.

Lycopersicon esculentum, black soldier fly frass fertilizer, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, Fusarium oxysporum, pest attack