Plant Parasitic Nematodes: A Review on Their Behaviour, Host Interaction, Management Approaches and Their Occurrence in Two Sites in the Republic of Ireland

Plant parasitic nematodes are a major problem for growers worldwide, causing severe crop losses. Several conventional strategies, such as chemical nematicides and biofumigation, have been employed in the past to manage their infection in plants and spread in soils. However, the search for the most sustainable and environmentally safe practices is still ongoing. This review summarises information on plant parasitic nematodes, their distribution, and their interaction with their host plants, along with various approaches to manage their infestations. It also focuses on the application of microbial and fermentation-based bionematicides that have not only been successful in controlling nematode infection but have also led to plant growth promotion and proven to be environmentally safe. Studies with new information on the relative abundance of plant parasitic nematodes in two agricultural sites in the Republic of Ireland are also reported. This review, with the information it provides, will help to generate an up-to-date knowledge base on plant parasitic nematodes and their management practices

Screening bamboo species for salt tolerance using growth parameters, physiological response and osmolytes accumulation as effective indicators

Bamboos are potential species for reclamation of saline soils and water. In this study, the performances of three bamboo species, namely Dendrocalamus strictus (S1), Dendrocalamus longispathus (S2) and Bambusa bambos (S3), were investigated for salinity stress tolerance. After 14 days of treatment with 100 mM NaCl, reduction in shoot length was 66%, 100%, 77%, root length was 77%, 100%, 57%, number of leaves was 50%, 100%, 73% and fresh weight was 30%, 72%, 14% in S1, S2 and S3 species, respectively. Relative water content (RWC) in S1 and S3 species was 1.26 and 1.07 folds higher in 50 mM NaCl in comparison to control. In S2 species, total chlorophyll, chlorophylla and chlorophyllb degradation were the highest (40.4%, 42.7%, 16.32%, respectively) in comparison to S3 (18.18%, 23%, 16.4%) and S1 (23.5%, 25%, 19.17%) species. In S3 and S1 species, the Chla/Chlb ratio was maintained showing stabilisation of the net photosynthetic rate. Proline played a more important role than glycine betaine for salt tolerance of these bamboo species. On account of vegetative growth, proline accumulation and RWC, it is inferred that S1 and S3 species are salt tolerant while S2 is a sensitive species

Effect of Alltech® Crop Science products on root-knot nematode attraction and infestation in tomato plants

Root-knot nematodes (RKN) are highly damaging pests with broad host range causing crop yield loss of about 30% in susceptible crop varieties annually. Natural-based products for RKN management have gained a lot of interest due to the harmful effects of conventional chemical nematicides. Two Alltech Crop Science products, (ACS5075 and ACS3048), were evaluated against the RKN Meloidogyne javanica. Attraction assays were performed by adding either product to 20% (w/v) Pluronic F-127 gel to study the behaviour of RKN second-stage juveniles (J2) towards host roots. ACS5075 completely inhibited attraction of RKN juveniles towards roots when compared to ACS3048 (7 ± 1 juveniles) or the control (8 ± 0.5 juveniles). Pot trials were also conducted for 2 months, where several combinations of products were assessed to determine their impact on egg masses and plant development. The ACS5075 treatment caused a significant reduction in egg masses (2.04 and 1.4 fold) when applied at 1% and 3% (p ≤ 0.05), respectively, compared to inoculated control. Correlation studies (r = −0.414) clearly depicted positive contribution of the product towards plant growth while reducing egg mass formation. A combination of 3% ACS5075 and 3 g ACS3048 behaved similarly. It is concluded that these products could potentially provide promising alternatives for sustainable RKN management

Plant Parasitic Nematodes: A Review on Their Behaviour, Host Interaction, Management Approaches and Their Occurrence in Two Sites in the Republic of Ireland

Plant parasitic nematodes are a major problem for growers worldwide, causing severe crop losses. Several conventional strategies, such as chemical nematicides and biofumigation, have been employed in the past to manage their infection in plants and spread in soils. However, the search for the most sustainable and environmentally safe practices is still ongoing. This review summarises information on plant parasitic nematodes, their distribution, and their interaction with their host plants, along with various approaches to manage their infestations. It also focuses on the application of microbial and fermentation-based bionematicides that have not only been successful in controlling nematode infection but have also led to plant growth promotion and proven to be environmentally safe. Studies with new information on the relative abundance of plant parasitic nematodes in two agricultural sites in the Republic of Ireland are also reported. This review, with the information it provides, will help to generate an up-to-date knowledge base on plant parasitic nematodes and their management practices