Abstract:
Tomato is one of the most important vegetable crop in Ethiopia. Diseases are major constraints that
limit production of tomato in the country. Late blight, caused by Phytophthora infestans, poses a
significant challenge to tomato production in Ethiopia. This study evaluated the effect of host
resistance and fungicide spray frequency on tomato late blight disease at Jawi District during the
2024 irrigation season. The design of the experiment was a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with
factorial arrangements with three replications. Disease severity and incidence were significantly
influenced by the treatments. The highest disease severity was observed on untreated plots, with value
of 54.17% in Melkashola, while the lowest severity was recorded in Miya and Melkashola varieties
treated with four times sprays (26.92% and 32.78%, respectively). The area under the disease
progress curve (AUDPC) (value) and disease progress rates (value) were lowest in treated plots in
plot specify it Yield losses reached up to 61.41% in untreated plots, whereas marketable fruit yield
was maximized at 36.25 t ha⁻¹ in three-time fungicide-sprayed plots. Marginal analysis indicated that
two applications were cost-effective for Miya and Roma VF, while three applications were optimal
for Melkashola and Melkasallasa. The integration of resistant varieties and targeted fungicide
applications effectively minimized late blight epidemics and enhanced yield. These findings suggest
the adoption of integrated management strategies tailored to variety-specific resistance levels and for
sustainable tomato production.