Hektar

ROOT NEMATODE in CUCURBITACEAE – Meloidogyne incognita

Number of generations of adults/year : 4-8 generations (in greenhouses); 2-3 generations (in solar and field). It overwinters in the field as an egg, in the body of dead females, and in greenhouses, inside galls on the root or soil.

Biology-ecology, mode of attack :

• polyphagous pest (has about 1500 host plants from wild and cultivated flora)
• a female can lay up to 2000 eggs, but frequently 600-800
• an incubation period lasts 7-10 days
• in protected spaces, at a temperature of 20-27º C and a relative humidity of 50-90%, the duration of an evolution cycle is 45-50 days
• larvae in the third age (invasion larvae), leave the galls inside which they hatched and migrate in the soil to other host plants; here they penetrate inside the young roots, through the area of ​​the growth tips, they secrete a toxin that causes tissue hypertrophy and gall formation
• shape, number and enlargement of galls depend on the degree of host plant infestation and climatic conditions.
• on the area of ​​formation of galls, the free-woody vessels are destroyed, and the circulation of the sap is interrupted; attacked plants stop growing, the leaves wither all over the stem, turn yellow and dry.

Prevention and control measures :

• Removing the attacked plants together with the soil around the root

At the late appearance of the attack, this will be done for crops on the ground in the protected spaces :

• Apply a peat mulch to the planting area and treat it weekly with AXEROOT at a concentration of 0.25%.
• Avoid heavy defoliation at the base of the plants.
• Use shading nets in the greenhouses.
• Apply regular foliar feedings with eco-friendly products, such as Algasil at 0.3-0.5% or Garex B at 0.1-0.2%, to help maintain plant turgor.
• Apply AXEROOT to the roots; this growth stimulator contains a balanced blend of phytohormones, amino acids, phosphorus, folic acid, and other root-enhancing cofactors.

In protected spaces, the disinfection of nematode-infested soils will be done with one of the following types of treatment :

• Nemathorin (active ingredient: Fosthiazate) at 15 kg/ha, applied 8-10 days before planting cucumber and melon seedlings, in a 30 cm-wide band, then incorporated into the soil at 8-10 cm depth, with a 70-day waiting period.
• Tervigo (active ingredient: Abamectin) at 5 l/ha, applied preventively via drip irrigation within 5 days after planting, with up to 4 treatments spaced 10-14 days apart, depending on infestation levels.
• Nemasol (active ingredient: Sodium Metam) at 700 l/ha; after a minimum of three weeks with soil temperatures above 15ºC, the covering foil is removed. A phytotoxicity test with lettuce or bean seedlings is performed before planting.
• Velum Prime 400 SC (active ingredient: Fluopyram) at 625 ml/ha for the first treatment, followed by a second treatment after 15-30 days at the same dose; applied via drip irrigation with no required waiting period.
• Vydate 10 L (active ingredient: Oxamyl) at 10 l/ha, applied through drip irrigation. It is safe for beneficial insects, effective across all pest stages, and biodegradable.

Combating the root nematode can also be achieved by applying ecological products such as :

• Altosan through the drip irrigation system 20 l./ha, in 2 stages after transplantation, at intervals of 21 days.
• Garex B in doses of 2.5 l./ha by drip irrigation.