Eco-friendly management of root-knot nematode and root rot disease infecting pepper plants by application compost and tea compost

Abstract EN

The present work was conducted to study the efficacy of compost powder and compost extract (tea) in the management of root rot and root-knot nematode disease complex infecting pepper plants under in vitro and in vivo.

The inhibitory effect of compost extract concentrations (25% , 50% , 75 and 100% ) on Fusarium solani (Mart.

) Sacc and Rhizoctonia solani Kühn were evaluated, the latter was higher sensitive than F.

solani by 88.33% and 82.83% , respectively at 100% concentration.

The results also, showed that nematicidal effect of unsterilized compost tea (65.98% and 52.3% ) was significantly more than sterilized compost tea (54.02% and 45.9% ) on the rate of Meloidogyne incognita egg hatching and juvenile mortality, respectively in all tested concentrations.

In vivo, the obtained results cleared a decrease in the root rot incidence percentage in disease complex of both compost powder and compost tea extract to 22.1% and 20.1% compared with control treatment.

Application of compost powder with the recommended dose, as well as the compost tea extract, led to a significant decrease in gall number (64 and 59 galls/root) compared to the comparative treatment (108 galls/root).

This result has led to a significant reduction in egg-masses formation.

Furthermore, the obtained results indicated that plant growth parameters significantly increased (plant length, fresh and dry weights) by the application of compost and compost tea extract.

In general, application of compost and compost tea extract might be a safe and eco-friendly tool in the sustainable management of disease complex.