Comparison Efficiency of Certain Mesofaunatic Predators against Meloidogyne javanica Infected Tomato Plants

Abstract

A comparison between predation efficiency of certain soil mesofaunatic predators such as: Macrocheles matrius (mite); Onychiurus armatus (collembolan) and Diplogaster lheritieri (nematode) solely or combined in addition to a nematicide (Tervigo) as standard to these treatments on Meloidogyne javanica infected tomato plants in pot experiments under greenhouse conditions. The obtained results revealed that all tested soil mesofaunatic predators and Tervigo significant reduced Meloidogyne javanica population in soil and roots of tomato plants. Predation efficiency of the predatory nematode treatment, D. lheritieri recorded the first rank, followed by the predatory mite, M. matrius and collembolan, O. armatus with reduction percentages of 86.7; 79.2 and 73.1% on root-knot nematode , respectively. Combined treatment of (M. matrius + O. armatus + D. lheritieri) gave the highest reduction percentage (91.2%) on root-knot nematode compared with the application of the nematicide Tervigo (87.7%). In addition, effective of this combination gave a best effect of various growth parameters of tomato, as well as best results of gall index (0.5) decreased by (- 91.7%) and egg-masses production (3.0) decreased by (- 95.2%) compared with control value, respectively, while in Tervigo treatment revealed (1.0) and (5.0) gall index and egg-masses production which decreased by (- 83.3 and - 91.1%) comparing to control values, respectively. Application of the nematicide Tervigo as comparator with certain natural soil predators in nematode control sheds a light upon the implicitly importance of biological control agents as a successful methods in the control of plant-parasitic nematode, M. javanica instead of the application of dangerous nematicides on the environment.