Comparative study on the integrated application of environmental friendly compounds and a chemical- nematicide in controlling root knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita infecting sunflower plants; a field study

Abstract

A field study was set up at Kafre – Hakim village, Giza, Governorate, Egypt, to compare the protective value of applying environmental friendly compounds with a known chemical nematicide, oxamyl, for controlling the nematode Meloidogyne incognita infecting sunflower cv. Sakha 53  and their effects on crop production and oil contents. These compounds were 1) furfural,a natural nematicide, 2) amino green 11, commercial formula of amino acids, 3) NPK, an inorganic fertilizer. Data revealed that all the tested treatments resulted in variable significant decrease in root knot disease incidence associated with improvement in crop yield except the plants treated with furfural plus amino green 11 that showed significant decrease in percentage of oil content. A significant decrease in shoot weight was observed by applying the combined treatment of furfural plus NPK. Moreover, oxamyl plus amino green 11 resulted in -12% reductions in shoot weight. From the present study it was concluded that better plant growth characters of sunflower e.g. shoot length, root weight, % oil content and reduction of the nematode root galls, egg masses and second stage larvae could be achieved by single rather than combined treatments. This is to avoid signs of phytotoxicity that might occur such as decreasing the oil content, an observation that needs further investigation.