Potential of sucrose and Pennisetum purpureum cv. cameroon mulch on the management of Meloidogyne javanica and M. incognita

Abstract

The effects of sucrose on motility and infectiveness of juveniles of Meloidogyne javanica were evaluated under laboratory and greenhouse conditions, using brown sugar and crystal sugar. Results showed that crystal and brown sugar solutions reduced motility and promoted morphological alterations of juvenile nematodes in vitro. The increasing dosages of sucrose reduced the number of galls and egg masses in tomato root by reducing the number of infective juveniles. The efficiency of granular sucrose, sucrose solution, with and without elephant-grass mulch, in the reduction of reproduction and final population of M. incognita race 2, were also evaluated. Granular sucrose induced decrease on the numbers of galls and eggs masses per root system as well as on juveniles in the soil. For sucrose solution assay, the best results for reproductive reduction were obtained with 300g of granular sucrose per liter of soil, applied at seven days intervals, associated with elephant-grass mulch.