Abstract
The root-knot nematode (RKN) is one of the most damaging agricultural pests.Effective biological control is need for controlling this destructive pathogen in organic farming system. During October 2010 to 2011, the nematicidal effects of the Syncephalastrum racemosum fungus and the nematicide, avermectin, alone or combined were tested against the RKN (Meloidogyne incognita) on cucumber under pot and field condition in China. Under pot conditions, the application of S. racemosum alone or combined with avermectin significantly increased the plant vigor index by 31.4% and 10.9%, respectively compared to the M. incognita-inoculated control. However, treatment with avermectin alone did not significantly affect the plant vigor index. All treatments reduced the number of root galls and juvenile nematodes compared to the untreated control. Under greenhouse conditions, all treatments reduced the disease severity and enhanced fruit yield compared to the untreated control. Fewer nematodes infecting plant roots were observed after treatment with avermectin alone, S. racemosum alone or their combination compared to the M. incognita-inoculated control. Among all the treatments, application of avermectin or S. racemosum combined with avermectin was more effective than the S. racemosum treatment. Our results showed that application of S. racemosum combined with avermectin not only reduced the nematode number and plant disease severity but also enhanced plant vigor and yield. The results indicated that the combination of S. racemosum with avermectin could be an effective biological component in integrated management of RKN on cucumber.
Highlights
The root-knot nematode (RKN), Meloidogyne spp., is one of the most damaging agricultural pests attacking a wide range of crops [1,2], and it can cause dramatic yield losses, mainly in tropical and sub-tropical agriculture [3,4]
The mean root length (MRL), mean shoot length (MSL) and vigor index (VI) of the control plants inoculated with J2 of M. incognita were significantly reduced (p, 0.05) (Table 1)
The results from pot and field experiments in this study showed that the combination of S. racemosum and avermectin can cause the paralysis of RKN nematodes and reduce the application of pesticides
Summary
The root-knot nematode (RKN), Meloidogyne spp., is one of the most damaging agricultural pests attacking a wide range of crops [1,2], and it can cause dramatic yield losses, mainly in tropical and sub-tropical agriculture [3,4]. In addition to RKNs infecting economically important plants, namely cucumber and tomato in China, RKN is the most common species and perhaps the most damaging pathogen in greenhouses [5]. 50% of greenhouse-grown vegetables are infected by RKN with an annual loss caused by RKN that is estimated to be more than $400 million. RKN has usually been managed with chemical nematicides for decades. With increased pressure on growers to reduce nematicide usage and without effective alternatives, there is great interest in biological control as a management tool for this destructive pathogen
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