Efficacy of soil amendment with medicinal plant materials for the control of root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) in Tomato

Abstract

Soil amendments with oriental herbal medicines such as fruit of Anethum graveolens, flower buds of Syzygium aromaticum, rhizome of Cnidium officinale, rhizome of Coptis chinensis, root bark of Paeonia suffructicosa, stem bark of Phellodendron amurense, and stem bark of Cinnamomum cassia at the rate of 0.2% (weight by volume of soil) significantly reduced Meloidogyne incognita infection (root gall formation) of tomato seedlings compared with the control. The most effective treatments were root bark of P. suffructicosa and stem bark of C. cassia as they gave minimum numbers of galls on tomato roots (4.7% and 8.9%, respectively, relative to control) as compared to other treatments. Another study with root bark of P. suffructicosa and C. cassia at different application doses also showed consistent results in reducing gall number. The control efficacy decreased as the application doses were lowered, indicating their dose-dependent control activities. These treatments significantly enhanced aboveground plant growths (total masses).