Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
2003b). Vermicomposts also suppressed the attack of
Meloidogyne incog-
nita
on tobacco, pepper, strawberry and tomato (Swathi et al. 1998; Edwards
et al. 2007; Arancon et al. 2002; Morra et al. 1998) and decreased the num-
bers of galls and egg masses of
Meloidogyne javanica
(Ribeiro et al. 1998).
9.10.1 MECHANISMS THAT MEDIATE NEMATODE CONTROL
There are several feasible mechanisms that attribute to the suppression of
plant parasitic nematodes by vermicompost application and it involves both
biotic and abiotic factors. Organic matter addition to the soil stimulates the
population of bacterial and fungal antagonists of nematodes (e.g.,
Pasteuria
penetrans, Pseudomonas
spp. and chitinolytic bacteria,
Trichoderma
spp.),
and other typical nematode predators including nematophagous mites viz.,
Hypoaspis calcuttaensis
(Bilgrami 1996), Collembola and other arthropods
which selectively feeds on plant parasitic nematodes. (Thoden et al. 2011).
Vermicompost amendment promoted fungi capable of trapping nematode
and destroying nematode cysts (Kerry 1988) and increased the population of
plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria which produce enzymes toxic to plant
parasitic nematodes (Siddiqui and Mahmood 1999). Vermicompost addition
to soils planted with tomatoes, peppers, strawberry and grapes showed a sig-
nificant reduction of plant parasitic nematodes and increased the population
of fungivorous and bacterivorous nematodes compared to inorganic fertil-
izer treated plots (Arancon et al. 2002). In addition, few abiotic factors viz.,
nematicidal compounds such as hydrogen sulphide, ammonia, nitrates, and
organic acids released during vermicomposting, as well as low C/N ratios of
the compost cause direct adverse effects while changes in soil physiochemi-
cal characterists viz., bulk density, porosity, water holding capacity, pH, EC,
CEC and nutrition posses indirect adverse effects on plant parasitic nema-
todes (Rodriguez-Kabana 1986; Thoden et al. 2011).
9.11 CONCLUSION
Vermicomposting is a cost-effective and eco-friendly waste management
technology which takes the previlige of both earthworms and the asso-
ciated microbes and has many advantages over traditional thermophilic
