Abstract

Cucurbitacin-containing phytonematicides are prepared from fruits dried at 52ºC in air-forced ovens, which could not be available for use by resource-poor farmers to prepare the products. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of Nemafric-BL phytonematicide prepared using fermented crude extracts of fresh fruit from wild watermelon (Cucumis africanus) on growth of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants and root-knot (Meloidogyne species) nematodes. Seedlings of tomato cultivar ‘Floradade’ were inoculated with 3000 eggs and second-stage juveniles (J2) M. incognita race 2 in pot trials, with treatments comprising a series of Nemafric-BL phytonematicide concentrations. Fiftysix days after inoculation, the phytonematicide had reduced eggs and J2 in roots by 8497%, J2 in soil by 49–96% and total nematodes by 70–97%. Plant variables and log22transformed concentrations of Nemafric-BL phytonematicide exhibited quadratic relations, with the model being explained by 74–98% associations. In conclusion, fresh fruit of C. africanus could be used for the preparation of Nemafric-BL phytonematicide.