Optimization of the microorganisms performance in tea compost for controlling African violet powdery mildew

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 more popular than before. African violet powdery mildew (Erysiphe cichoracearum) is one of the vital diseases of this plant, which 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 different kind of compost in integrated pest management, are a suitable solution for obtaining high-quality products with minimal environmental impacts, due to the high population of microorganisms. In this research, in order to manage African violet powdery mildew in a healthy ecosystem, it was tried to use compost tea and vermicompost tea to control that using Taguchi design experiments method. To achieve this purpose, the effect of compost types was studied at four levels, along with consumption dosage and application intervals at two levels, on two varieties of African violets. The results demonstrated a significant impact of using compost tea on the control of powdery mildew in African violet. After analyzing the main effects of the variables, it was found that the application intervals did not show a significant effect, while the other three variables had a significant impact on the control of this disease. The result showed that the optimal conditions for powdery mildew control on the miniature cultivar involve using aerated compost tea with a dose of ۲۰ cc.