Cumulative effects of aqueous extract of some plants on the reproduction of Meloidogyne javanica in three consecutive tomato cropping cycles under greenhouse conditions

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Department of Plant Protection, School of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

2 Department of Animal Science, School of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

3 Department of Food Science and Engineering, School of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

Abstract

Root-knot nematodes are among the most important limiting factors in tomato production, and their management relies on chemical nematicides. Due to the adverse environmental impacts of these compounds, plant-based materials have received increasing attention as safe alternatives. This study aimed to determine the most effective application method of the inhibitory plant creeping thistle (Cirsium arvense) and to evaluate the effects of aqueous extracts of eight plant species, including licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), flixweed (Descurainia sophia), creeping thistle, narrow-leaf plantain (Plantago lanceolata), milk thistle (Lactuca serriola), caper bush (Capparis spinosa), chinaberry (Melia azedarach) and arugula (Eruca sativa), on the reproduction of three consecutive generations of Meloidogyne javanica during three successive tomato cropping cycles under greenhouse conditions. The results showed that application of dried plant powders improved growth parameters of nematode-infected tomato plants and significantly reduced the nematode reproduction factor, with the greatest reduction observed in the 2% dried powder treatment combined with foliar spraying one week after nematode inoculation. In the second experiment, extracts of creeping thistle and chinaberry exhibited the greatest and consistent reductions in Rf across all three cropping cycles. During the third cropping cycle, the creeping thistle treatment resulted in an 83.0% reduction in Rf and increases of 76.8% and 91.9% in shoot fresh and dry weights, respectively. In contrast, extracts such as milk thistle, narrow-leaf plantain, and arugula, which showed limited effects during the first cropping cycle, exhibited substantial reductions in Rf in subsequent cropping cycles, indicating a cumulative effect resulting from repeated application over successive nematode generations.

Keywords

Iranian Journal of Plant Pathology
Volume 61, Issue 1.2
December 2025
Pages 23-48

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