optimization of the microorganisms performance in tea compost for controlling african violet powdery mildew

The african violet (saintpaulia ionantha) is one of the most important commercial plants with a unique variety in color and shape, which has made this potted plant popular. african violet powdery mildew (erysiphe cichoracearum) is a common disease of this plant that covers the leaves like white felt. despite the heavy use of chemical pesticides in commercial greenhouses, this disease still causes significant damage to this plant. using a different kind of compost in integrated pest management is a suitable solution for obtaining high-quality products with minimal environmental impacts due to the high population of microorganisms. using the taguchi design experiments method, this research used compost tea and vermicompost tea to control african violet powdery mildew in a healthy ecosystem. to achieve this, the effect of compost types was studied at four levels, and the consumption dosage and application intervals at two levels on two varieties of african violets. the results demonstrated that compost tea had a significant impact on the control of powdery mildew in african violet after analyzing the main effects of the variables, it was found that the application interval did not show a significant effect, but three other variables (compost tea type, host plant variety, and dosage) significantly impacted the control of this disease. the result showed that the optimal conditions to control powdery mildew on the miniature cultivar involved using a dose of 20 cc of aerated compost tea.