Action of medicinal plant extracts on juveniles of Meloidogyne incognita race 2

Abstract

Phytonematodes are parasites that seriously affect crops worldwide, compromising agricultural production and sometimes preventing the use of many cultivated areas. The search for alternative control measures to replace conventional nematicides is a global concern, and explains research into natural substances due to their being efficient and environmentally friendly. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of plant extracts from the false daisy (Eclipta alba), basil (Ocimum basilicum), mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris), citronella (Cymbopogon winteranus), water willow (Justicia pectoralis), comfrey (Symphytum officinalle), cuban mint (Mentha x vilosa), pink root (Spigelia anthelmia), epazote (Chenopodium ambrosioides) and wild mint (Mentha arvensis) on motility and mortality in juveniles of Meloidogyne incognita race 2. Extracts, obtained from dried leaves under infusion or macerated in water, were diluted and spread onto Petri dishes to which were added 50 second-stage juveniles (J2). After remaining for 48 hours in the extracts, all the J2, both mobile and immobile, were counted and then transferred to water, where after 24 hours, the percentage of dead J2 was determined. Any still active J2 were inoculated into `Santa Clara' tomato seedlings in a greenhouse so as to evaluate their infectivity. The macerated extracts of the medicinal plants, except for the citronella, cuban mint and wild mint, showed high nematicide activity, with over 70% of the J2 dead. Total mortality was seen with the extracts of pink root, false daisy and epazote. The absence of galls in the root system of the inoculated tomato plants confirmed the toxic effect of these extracts.