Evaluation of nematicidal potential of botanicals for sustainable management of Meloidogyne incognita population

Abstract

Meloidogyne incognita, a rootknot nematode (RKNs), poses a significant economic threat to various agriculturally important crops as an endoparasite. The use of botanicals as a component of integrated pest management (IPM) offers an eco-friendly alternative to chemical pesticides. In this study we evaluated the nematicidal potential of Calotropis gigantea, Tinospora cordifolia, and Allium sativum L. against M. incognita juveniles (J2s) at concentration of 0.2 g/ 10 mL, 0.4 g/ 10 mL, 0.6 g/ 10 mL, 0.8 g/ 10 mL and 1 g/ 10 mL over exposure periods of 24 hours, 48 hours and 72 hours. Among the tested extracts, T. cordifolia exhibited the highest J2s mortality (100.00% and 99.27%), while A sativum L. extract showed the lowest efficacy (41.19%). Furthermore, T. cordifolia showed remarkable phytonematicidal compounds. To enhance the efficacy of phytonematicides, we investigated the bioactive compounds present in the aqueous extract of T. cordifolia , which showed the highest mortality rate. In vitro and in vivo assays were conducted to assess the impact of hexadecane, a crude hydrocarbon present prominently in the aqueous extract of T. cordifolia leaf. Its 0.002 mL/ L and 0.004 mL/ L concentrations were tested for different time durations against M. incognita . Hexadecane at 0.004 mL/ L exhibited the highest J2s mortality (85.09% after 72 h of treatment, as compared to the control 3.46%). These findings highlight the potential of T. cordifolia based bio-nematicide formulations. GC-MS profile of T. cordifolia revealed the prominant presence of hexadecane, thus it was asses to test its bioeffacy as a bionematicide which would show a path of sustainable strategy for plant parasitic nematode management. This novel approach offers an environmentally friendly and costeffective alternative to synthetic pesticides, potentially leading to improved crop yield and sustainable agricultural practice.