Potential of Sahelian native shrub materials to suppress the spiral nematode Helicotylenchus dihystera

Abstract

Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) is a drought -tolerant cereal commonly grown for grain and fodder in arid areas throughout the world. Senegalese millet fields are infested with Helicotylenchus. The native evergreen woody shrub Pihostigma retic ulatumi s widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa. Its coppiced residues are used by small farmers as mulch in crop fields. The shrub's nematicidal effect on the spiral nematode Hehmohdenchus dihystera was evaluated in a pearl millet pot experiment. The abundance of nematodes decreased by 64% after application of either leaf powder or a pulverized mixing of leaves and stems, suggesting the use of aboveground materials of P reficulatum as a potential nematicide. The results show promise for use of a local resotu're. by subsistence farmers in the Sahel. Further research is needed on application to fully develop this approach as a biopesticide