Abstract

The cucurbitacin containing phytonematicides have possibility to be developed as an alternative to withdraw synthetic chemical nematicides, with sensitivities to crops that are plant-species specific. Although, the products have been tested on other Beta species, their sensitivities on Swiss chard (cicla) remain undocumented, necessitating such tests since the plant is highly susceptible to root-knot (Meloidogyne species) nematodes. Therefore, a study was conducted during 208-19 at Green Biotechnologies Research Centre of Excellence (GBRCE), University of Limpopo, South Africa with an objective of the study being to determine the non-phytotoxic concentration of Nemarioc-AL and Nemafric-BL phytonematicides for use on Swiss chard in managing population densities of M. incognita under greenhouse conditions. Seedlings were inoculated with 3000 eggs and second-stage juveniles (J2) of M. incognita and subjected to weekly geometric concentration of the two phytonematicides in separate experiments. At 56 days after inoculation, plant variables against increasing concentration of the products exhibited positive quadratic relations, whereas nematode population densities and the products exhibited negative quadratic relations. In conclusion, Nemarioc-AL and Nemafric-BL phytonematicides can be used in managing population densities of M. incognita on Swiss chard.