The study assessed the effect of extracts from the foliage of two botanicals- Allium sativum L. andOcimumbacilicum L in controlling rot and boosting sprouting of white yam setts. Two white yam tubers cv. Giwa, were sectioned into minisetts treated with the botanical extracts and thereafter inoculated with the rot-fungi - Fusariumoxysporum and Rhizopusnigricans. The setts were planted first in potted bags then transferred onto yam heaps and data collected from 6 weeks after emergence of sprouts. Parameters measured included sprouting characteristic; the number of leaves per vine, mean leaf area (mm2), length of shoot (cm), number of roots and rot index. Results showed that Yam setts inoculated with R. nigricans produced a mean of 11 roots while setts inoculated with F.oxysporum had a mean of 5 roots. Roots produced by the un-inoculated setts (the control) were statistically lower than those inoculated with R. nigricans but higher than those of F.oxysporum inoculated setts. Mean root length of the yam setts was not too different from that of root numbers. Mean leaf area in control subplots were larger (42.45 mm2) compared to those inoculated with F. oxysporum inoculated setts while those inoculated with A. sativum had significantly lower leaf area (22.36 mm2). It is implied that A. sativum may perhaps contain inhibitory properties that depresses the activities of many rot causing fungi than O. basilicum. , The yam setts treated with R. nigricans suffered a more severe rot (1.55) than those of F. oxysporum(1.00). The study indicated that the use of A. sativum and O. basilicum controlled rot in yam minisetts, thereby confirming the potential of plant extracts to substitute for chemical fungicides.
