Efficiency of Banzai Biostimulant on the cherries production in healthy and cocoa trees affected by swollen shoot virus: A case study at Petit-Bondoukou Côte d'Ivoire

Abstract

The present study is to evaluate the efficiency of the Biostimulant "Banzai" on the production of cherries from healthy and
diseased trees in a context of pressure from Swollen shoot cocoa disease in Petit-Bondoukou in the department of Soubré. The
specific aim is to compare the effect of the single and double doses of Banzai on the production of cherries from healthy and
diseased trees. The experimental design consists of a single block of four plots marked T0 (Control), T1 (a standard rate Banzai
application without fertilizer), T2 (a double rate Banzai application without fertilizer) and T3 (a standard rate Banzai application
with fertilizer). Each plot contains ten healthy trees and ten trees with swollen shoot disease. This device was repeated four times
at the study site. Banzai was applied for four months and observations were made for six consecutive months on the number of
cherries produced. The results of the Kruskal-Wallis test showed that the treated plots produced significantly more cherries than
the control plots in both healthy and diseased trees at any dose. In addition, in healthy trees, the Kruskal-Wallis test showed that
the single dose of Banzai without fertilizer (T1) significantly produced more cherries than other treatments. While in diseased
trees, the Kruskal-Wallis test showed that the double dose of Banzai without fertilizer (T2) significantly produced more cherries
than other treatments.