Evaluation of biological alternatives for the control of Nacobbus aberrans populations

PAOLA LAX, ALEJANDRA BECERRA, MILENA G. CACCIA, NICOLÁS MARRO, CLAUDIO VALVERDE, BETINA AGARAS, MARTA CABELLO AND MARCELO E. DOUCET

Congreso; XLIII ONTA Annual Meeting; 2011

In the last years there has been increasing interest in biological alternatives for the management of plant-parasitic nematodes that are harmful to agriculture. Nacobbus aberrans is a sedentary endoparasite native to the Americas, characterized by generating galls in the roots of the parasitized plant. In Argentina, it is widely distributed and the host range comprises numerous weeds and crops. To date, no biological control strategies have been implemented in the country to tackle the problems generated by this nematode, especially in horticultural crops. We have recently initiated research works in tomato plants grown under greenhouse conditions to evaluate the use of: a) arbuscular endomycorrhizas (Glomus intraradices), b) Pseudomonas fluorescens (CHA0 strain), and c) juveniles of entomo-pathogenic nematodes (Families Steinernematidae and Heterorhabditidae), as potential agents of control of local N. aberrans populations. The results obtained show that the application of the organisms mentioned significantly reduced multiplication of the nematode on plants (about 40-60%). These biological alternatives might represent a very good tool for the management of N. aberrans, mainly in crops grown under greenhouse conditions.