ORGANIC MANAGEMENT OF ROOT-KNOT (Meloidogyne sp.) OF BRINJAL USING PLANT EXTRACTS,

Abstract

Plant extracts like neem (Azadirachta indica ), marigold (Tagetes erecta), dholkalmi (Ipomoea fistulosa ), nishinda (Vitex negundo) and dhutra (Datura metel) were used against root-knot of brinjal caused by Meloidogyne sp. followed by root dipping, soil drenching and root dipping with soil drenching method. Among the plant extracts, neem leaf extract gave the highest response followed by marigold in plant growth characters like length of shoot and root, fresh weight of shoot and root with corresponding lower galling incidence and the population of L2, L3, L4 and adult female of Meloidogyne sp. in brinjal in all methods. Neem leaf extract gave higher response followed by marigold extract in plant growth with the lower galling as well as suppressing the population of Meloidogyne sp. Dholkalmi leaf extract showed lower response followed by nishinda leaf extract in plant growth and suppressing nematode activities within the treated plant. Dhutra extract gave the lowest response in plant growth characters of brinjal consequently with higher number of galls and nemic populations compared to control. All extracts performed better in root dipping with soil drenching method than any other method. Negative correlations between galling incidence with shoot and root length, shoot and root weight as well as positive correlations between gall number with eggmass and adult female of brinjal indicated the better action of plant extracts suppressing the nematode activity.