Influence of Nemafric-BL phytonematicide on suppression of Meloidogyne incognita and growth of zucchini under greenhouse conditions

Zucchini or squash (Cucumis pepo), also referred to as the green baby marrows, are highly susceptible to Meloidogyne species, without any genotype with resistance to the nematode genus. Cucurbitacin-containing phytonematicides are being used as alternatives to methyl bromide in various crops, with limited information on whether the product could induce auto-allelopathy in C. pepo cultivars. The objective of the study was to investigate the effects of Nemafric-BL phytonematicide on suppression of M. incognita and growth of zucchini under greenhouse conditions. Zucchini cv. ‘Cartesa’ seedlings were inoculated with 5000 eggs and second-stage juveniles (J2) of M. incognita and then managed at weekly basis using Nemafric-BL phytonematicide at 0, 2, 4, 8, 16 and 32%. Eight weeks after the treatments, relative to untreated control, the treatments reduced eggs (95–100%) and J2 (99–100) in roots, J2 (86–110%) in soil and final nematode population densities (97–100), but increased dry fruit mass (5–14%) and fruit number (66–137%), without affecting other plant variables. Nemafric-BL phytonematicide could be used in managing population densities of Meloidogyne species in zucchini production under greenhouse conditions without inducing phytotoxicity.