Evaluation of forage grasses to the control of Meloidogyne incognita and M. javanica (Nematoda)

Abstract

The objective of this research was to evaluate the effects of 15 grass species on Meloidogyne incognita and M. javanica (Nematoda) populations, in a greenhouse. Grasses were transplanted to clay pots and inoculated with 2,500 eggs of M. incognita or M. javanica. The soybean cv. FT-Cristalina and corn cv. BR-106 were used as controls .The plants were cultivated during 60 days, then the tops were cut off and the soil was revolved. Each pot received a tomato seedling like an indicating plant, which was cultivated during 40 days. After that, the root systems were collected, and galls (1^st trial) or egg masses (2^nd trial) was counted. Panicum maximum and also the species Brachiaria brizantha, B. brizantha cv. MG-4 and B. decumbens were more effective to reduce M. incognita and M. javanica populations. The numbers of the galls in the tomato roots were lower than 57 and 10 respectively, compared to 520 and 2393 found in the soybean-tomato sequence.