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Natural Products for a Sustainable Control of Phytoparasitic Nematodes

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A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Phytochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 July 2021) | Viewed by 32682

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Dr. Trifone D'Addabbo

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Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection, National Council of Research, 70100 Bari, Italy
Interests: sustainable strategies for phytoparasitic nematode control (plant compounds, biocontrol agents, organic amendments)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Pinarosa Avato

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Dipartimento di Farmacia-Scienze del Farmaco, Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro Via Orabona 4, 70125 Bari, Italy
Interests: phytochemicals; natural products; plant biodiversity; medicinal plants; food plants; bioactivity; polyphenols; glucosinolates; biocides
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Dear Colleagues,

Phytoparasitic nematodes already cause heavy yield losses to a wide range of crops, but their geographical distribution and virulence are destined to increase due to climate change. The negative impacts of synthetic nematicides have been shifting scientists’ attention to the search for more sustainable nematicidal products, including plant-derived compounds, biological agents and, more recently, also bioactive compounds extracted from marine organisms. Despite the impressive amount of published data, there is still a number of key questions to answer in order to be able to convert natural raw compounds into successful industrial nematicidal products. The identification of biochemical and molecular targets and modes of action of natural compounds on nematode physiology and metabolism, as well as the development of efficient stabilization and vehiculation processes are needed for their optimized application. Little information is also available on the impact of these products on nontarget soil microphauna and microflora, beneficial components, as fundamental contributors to soil health. Studies on the integration of natural products with other nonchemical control measures (soil amendments, physical treatments, agronomical techniques) are also needed to improve their nematicidal efficacy, as it is generally lower compared to synthetic nematicides. This Special Issue will include guest articles (original research papers, reviews, methods) mainly focused on the following subjects:

New natural nematicides from terrestrial and marine origin;
Biochemical and molecular mechanisms of the nematicidal activity of natural products;
Impact of natural nematicidal compounds on composition and functions of soil biota;
Innovative formulations of natural nematicidal products and evaluation of their activity in small-scale systems and in field;
Integration of different natural nematicidal agents or combination with other control tools (soil amendments, biofumigation, physical methods, low-rate nematicides).

Dr. Trifone D'Addabbo
Prof. Dr. Pinarosa Avato
Guest Editors

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Keywords

phytoparasitic nematodes
sustainable control
plant compounds
marine products
biocontrol agents

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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10 pages, 1172 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Polysulfides Applied as Formulated Garlic Extract to Protect Tomato Plants against the Root-Knot Nematode Meloidogyne incognita

by Reinhard Eder, Erika Consoli, Jürgen Krauss and Paul Dahlin

Plants 2021, 10(2), 394; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/plants10020394 - 18 Feb 2021

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3450

Abstract

The devastating root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita can cause severe damage to field and greenhouse crops. Due to high economic losses, alternative products are essential to replace banned or strictly regulated nematicides that affect human health and/or the environment. Garlic based products have been previously investigated as environmentally friendly nematicides and their active substances, diallyl polysulfides exist as formulated nematicides on the market. We tested the garlic-based nematicide NEMguard^® DE as protective of tomato roots. In vitro evaluation of the lethal concentration (LC) showed strong nematicidal activity with LC₅₀ of 0.8 mg/mL after 96 h and LC₉₀ of 1.5 mg/mL. NEMguard^® DE showed protective effect against M. incognita as a single application in small pots and a second application further reduced root galling, significantly. Large greenhouse trials were carried out in two consecutive years to test single and monthly applications of NEMguard^® DE. In both years, no controlling effect could be observed on M.incognita. We assume that the silt content of the loamy sandy soil used had an effect on the polysulfides, inhibiting their nematicidal effect. We conclude that further experiments are necessary to investigate the nematicidal potential of NEMguard^® DE under different soil compositions or as a different formulation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products for a Sustainable Control of Phytoparasitic Nematodes)

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12 pages, 1356 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Short-Time Impact of Soil Amendments with Medicago Plant Materials on Soil Nematofauna

by Marek Renčo, Nikoletta Ntalli and Trifone D’Addabbo

Plants 2021, 10(1), 145; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/plants10010145 - 12 Jan 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1699

Abstract

Soil amendments with plant materials from Medicago species are widely acknowledged for a suppressive effect on plant-parasitic nematodes but their impact on beneficial components of soil nematofauna is still unknown. A study on potted tomato was carried out to investigate the short-time effects on the overall nematofauna of dry biomasses from six different Medicago species, i.e., M. sativa, M. heyniana, M. hybrida, M. lupulina, M. murex and M. truncatula, incorporated to natural soil at 10, 20, or 40 g kg⁻¹ soil rates. All amendments resulted in a significant decrease of the total nematofauna biomass, whereas total abundance was significantly reduced only by M. heyniana, M. hybrida, and M. lupulina biomasses. Almost all the Medicago amendments significantly reduced the relative abundance of plant-parasites and root fungal feeders. All amendments significantly increased the abundance of bacterivores, whereas fungivores significantly increased only in soil amended with M. heyniana, M. lupulina and M. sativa plant materials. Mesorhabditis and Rhabditis were the most abundant genera of bacterivores, whereas Aphelenchoides and Aphelenchus prevailed among the fungivores. Predators were poorly influenced by all the tested Medicago biomasses, whereas the abundance of omnivores was negatively affected by M. heyniana and M. lupulina. Values of the Maturity Index and Sum Maturity Index were reduced by treatments with M. heyniana, M. hybrida, M. lupulina and M. sativa plant materials, whereas most of the tested amendments decreased values of the Channel Index while increasing those of the Enrichment Index. Enrichment and bacterivore footprints raised following soil addition with Medicago biomasses, whereas composite and fungivore footprints were significantly reduced. According to their overall positive effects on soil nematofauna, amendments with Medicago plant materials or their formulated derivatives could represent an additional tool for a sustainable management of plant-parasitic nematodes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products for a Sustainable Control of Phytoparasitic Nematodes)

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14 pages, 1568 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Use of Essential Oil and Hydrosol Extracted from Cuminum cyminum Seeds for the Control of Meloidogyne incognita and Meloidogyne javanica

by Iro Pardavella, Demetra Daferera, Theodoros Tselios, Panagiota Skiada and Ioannis Giannakou

Plants 2021, 10(1), 46; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/plants10010046 - 28 Dec 2020

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2652

Abstract

The essential oil (EO) and hydrosol (HL) isolated from Cuminum cyminum (cumin) seeds were evaluated against the root-knot nematodes Meloidogyne incognita and M. javanica. The efficacy of extracts on the motility, hatching, and survival in soil of second-stage juveniles (J2s), and the activity on egg differentiation were tested. All J2s were paralyzed after immersion in the EO at 62.5 μL/L concentration for 96 h. Encouraging results were recorded using HL equal to or higher than 10% concentration for both Meloidogyne species tested. More than 70% paralyzed J2s were recorded after immersion for 48 h, while the percentage was increased to higher than 90% after 96 h of immersion. A clear effect on egg differentiation was observed after immersion in EO or HL. A significant decrease in egg differentiation was revealed at even low concentrations of EO while an evident decrease in egg differentiation was recorded after immersion of eggs in 50% HL dilution. Decreased hatching of M. incognita and M. javanica J2s was observed with the increase in concentration. The lowest numbers of hatched J2s were recorded when EO was used at 1000 and 2000 μL/L concentrations. A constant reduction in root-knot nematode J2 hatching was observed upon increasing the concentration of HL from 5% to 50%. The EO of C. cyminum is characterized by the presence of γ-terpinene-7-al (34.95%), cumin aldehydes (26.48), and α-terpinene-7-al (12.77%). The above constituents were observed in HL following the same order as that observed in EO. The components γ-terpinene (11.09%) and ο-cymene (6.56%) were also recorded in EO while they were absent in HL. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products for a Sustainable Control of Phytoparasitic Nematodes)

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19 pages, 1925 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Relationship between Chemical Composition and Nematicidal Activity of Different Essential Oils

by Trifone D’Addabbo, Maria Pia Argentieri, Sebastiano Laquale, Vincenzo Candido and Pinarosa Avato

Plants 2020, 9(11), 1546; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/plants9111546 - 11 Nov 2020

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 2784

Abstract

In this study, the relationship between nematicidal activity and chemical composition of ten essential oils (EOs) from different plant species was investigated both in in vitro assays on juveniles (J2) and eggs of the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita and in experiments on tomato in soil infested by M. incognita. Nematode J2 were exposed for 4, 8 or 24 h to 0.78–100 μg mL⁻¹ concentrations of each EO, whereas 24, 48 or 96 h exposures to 250, 500 and 1000 μg mL⁻¹ solutions were tested on M. incognita egg masses. Treatments with 50, 100 or 200 μg kg soil rates of each EO were applied in the experiment on potted tomato. The highest nematicidal potential resulted for the C. verum EO, as highly toxic to both M. incognitaJ2 and eggs and strongly suppressive on nematode multiplication on tomato roots. The infestation of M. incognita on tomato roots was also strongly reduced by the EOs from E. citriodora and S. aromaticum, both highly toxic to M. incognitaJ2 but less active on nematode eggs. Adversely, R. graveolens EO strongly inhibited the egg hatch but was limitedly toxic to the infective J2. Chemical composition of the EOs was determined by GC-FID and GC-MS. The ten EOs showed a very different chemical composition in terms of major phytochemicals, with one or two dominant components totally amounting up to 85%. The structure–activity relationship based on the main phytochemicals identified in the assayed EOs and their nematicidal effects on M. incognita was also discussed. Results from this study confirmed that the selection of suitable EO raw materials can lead to the formulation on new effective nematicidal products. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products for a Sustainable Control of Phytoparasitic Nematodes)

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14 pages, 1484 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Diversity of Nematode Microbial Antagonists from Algeria Shows Occurrence of Nematotoxic Trichoderma spp.

by Nawal Benttoumi, Mariantonietta Colagiero, Samira Sellami, Houda Boureghda, Abdelaziz Keddad and Aurelio Ciancio

Plants 2020, 9(8), 941; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/plants9080941 - 24 Jul 2020

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2443

Abstract

Fungi and bacteria associated to phytoparasitic nematodes Globodera rostochiensis and Meloidogyne spp. in Algeria were identified and characterized. Trichoderma spp. showed the highest prevalence in the cysts of G. rostochiensis. A number of isolates were identified through PCR amplification and the sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS)1-2 and Rpb2 gene regions. The most represented species were T. harzianum and T. afroharzianum. The latter and T. hirsutum were reported for the first time in Algeria. Fusarium spp., including F. oxysporum and F. solani, comprised a second group of fungi found in cysts. Taxa associated to females of Meloidogyne spp. included T. harzianum, Fusarium spp. and other hyphomycetes. To assess the efficacy of Trichoderma spp., two assays were carried out in vitro with the culture filtrates of two T. afroharzianum and T. harzianum isolates, to check their toxicity versus the second stage juveniles of M. incognita. After 24–48 h exposure, a mortality significantly higher than the control was observed for both filtrates at 1% dilutions. The TRI genes involved in the production of trichothecenes were also amplified with the PCR from some Trichoderma spp. isolates and sequenced, supporting a putative role in nematode toxicity. Bacteria isolated from the cysts of G. rostochiensis included Brucella, Rhizobium, Stenotrophomonas and Bacillus spp., identified through 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The potential of the microbial isolates identified and their mechanisms of action are discussed, as part of a sustainable nematode management strategy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products for a Sustainable Control of Phytoparasitic Nematodes)

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13 pages, 703 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Use of Essential Oil and Hydrosol Extracted from Satureja hellenica for the Control of Meloidogyne incognita and M. javanica

by Iro Pardavella, Eleni Nasiou, Dimitra Daferera, Panayiotis Trigas and Ioannis Giannakou

Plants 2020, 9(7), 856; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/plants9070856 - 07 Jul 2020

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2517

Abstract

Essential oil (EO) and hydrosol (HL) isolated from an indigenous plant species Satureja hellenica were evaluated against Meloidogyne incognita and M. javanica. Particularly, the activity of extracts on a second stage juvenile’s (J2s) motility, the hatching of J2s from eggs, egg differentiation and the effect on J2s in soil were tested. A paralysis of 100% of the J2s of both species was recorded after 96 h of immersion in the essential oil, at a dose of 2000 μL/L. At the same dose, the percentage of paralyzed J2s after 48 h of immersion was more than 80%, for both Meloidogyne species. The use of hydrosol has shown encouraging results only in the dilution of 50%, where for both Meloidogyne species tested, the percentage of paralyzed J2s was more than 70% after 48 h of immersion, while the percentage was increased to 90% after 96 h of immersion. Egg differentiation was ceased after immersion, either in EO or HL. However, this decrease in egg differentiation was evident only at higher concentrations of EO and at the highest HL dilution (0.5 v/v). The hatching of M. incognita J2s was decreasing as the dose was increasing. The lowest numbers of hatched J2s were recorded at the doses of 2000 and 4000 μL/L. A clear reduction in M. javanica J2s hatching was observed as the dose was increased to 250 μL/L, a fact constantly observed as the dose was increasing up to 4000 μL/L. Lower numbers of nematodes were recorded in roots grown in infested soil after the application of EO or HL at the highest doses. The EO of S. hellenica is characterized by the presence of p-cymene (27.46%) and carvacrol (23.25%), and in a lesser extent of other constituents, such as borneol (6.79%), carvacrol methylether (6.77%), γ-terpinene (4.63%) and 4-terpineol (3.65%). Carvacrol was the major constituent found in the HL (50.12%), followed by borneol and 4-terpineol (20.42 and 6.72%, respectively). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products for a Sustainable Control of Phytoparasitic Nematodes)

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11 pages, 942 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Nematicidal Efficacy of Milbemectin against Root-Knot Nematodes

by Miguel Talavera-Rubia, Maria Dolores Vela-Delgado and Soledad Verdejo-Lucas

Plants 2020, 9(7), 839; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/plants9070839 - 03 Jul 2020

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2709

Abstract

The nematicidal efficacy of milbemectin and its commercial formulate Milbeknock^® on (i) egg hatching, (ii) juvenile motility and (iii) infective capacity of root-knot nematodes was evaluated in vitro and in planta assays. Serial dilutions of pure milbemectin were tested against nematode eggs and juveniles and lethal concentrations LC50 and LC90 calculated. Exposure of egg masses to milbemectin at a concentration of 30 μg/mL for 72 h reduced egg hatching by 52%. The increase in exposure time to 240 h did not increase the egg hatching inhibition at the highest concentration 30 μg/mL (53%) but reduced egg hatching at 15 and 7 μg/mL by 35 and 24%, respectively, when compared to untreated controls. The inhibitory effect of milbemectin on juvenile motility ranged from 41 to 87% depending on its concentration, and this effect was persistent after rinsing the juveniles in water. The probabilistic dose–response model indicated that lethal concentrations of milbemectin for juvenile motility were LC50: 7.4 μg/mL and LC90: 29.9 μg/mL. The pre-plant application of Milbeknock^® to soils infested with the nematode reduced its infective capacity by 98–99% compared to untreated soils in pot experiments. Milbeknock^® reduced nematode soil population densities by 50–60% in natural infestations under field conditions. Milbemectin shows a high level of efficacy against root-knot nematodes as it reduces egg hatching, persistently immobilizes nematode juveniles, and reduces tomato root infection. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products for a Sustainable Control of Phytoparasitic Nematodes)

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Review

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12 pages, 1927 KiB

Open AccessReview

Chemical Composition and Nematicidal Properties of Sixteen Essential Oils—A Review

by Trifone D’Addabbo and Pinarosa Avato

Plants 2021, 10(7), 1368; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/plants10071368 - 04 Jul 2021

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3904

Abstract

Essential oils (EOs) can be a large source of new food-safe and healthy nematicidal products, due to their strong activity on crop pathogens and pests, including phytoparasitic nematodes, as well as to their low environmental persistence. This review summarizes the results from our 10-year studies on chemical features and nematicidal properties of 16 EOs with different botanical origins and compositions, i.e., the EOs from Artemisia herba-alba Asso (Asteraceae), Cinnamomum camphora (L.) J. Presl. and Cinnamomum verum J. Presl. (Lauraceae), Citrus aurantium L., Cinnamomum. sinensis L. Osbeck and Ruta graveolens L. (Rutaceae), Eucalyptus citriodora Hook, Eucalyptus globulus Labill. and Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Marry et Perry (Myrtaceae), Mentha piperita L., Monarda didyma L., Monarda. fistulosa L., Rosmarinus officinalis L. and Thymus satureioides Cosson (Lamiaceae), Pelargonium asperum Ehrh ex Willd (Geraniaceae) and Schinus molle L. (Anacardiaceae). All these EOs were chemically characterized and tested in vitro and/or in vivo for their activity against the phytoparasitic species Meloidogyne incognita Kofoid et White (Chitw.), Pratylenchus vulnus Allen et Jensen and Xiphinema index Thorne et Allen. Toxicity bioassays were conducted by exposing 2nd stage juveniles (J2) of M. incognita, mixed-age specimens of P. vulnus and adult females of X. index to 2–100 μg mL⁻¹ concentrations of EOs or EO’s major constituents for 4–96 h and checking mortality effect after a further 24–72 h permanence in water. Egg hatchability bioassays consisted in exposing (24–48 h) M. incognita egg masses to 500–1000 mg mL⁻¹ EO solutions followed by a 5-week hatching test in water. The in vivo experiments were undertaken in sandy soil strongly infested by M. incognita and treated with different doses of EOs, applied either in water solution or by fumigation. The effects of the treatments on nematode infestation on tomato and in soil were checked at the end of each experiment. Structure-activity relationships, as suggested by the different chemical compositions of tested EOs, were also highlighted. In agreement with literature data, our studies indicated that most of the tested EOs are highly suitable for the formulation of new safe nematicides, though still retarded by the lack of efficient stabilization processes and standardized EOs’ components and extraction techniques. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products for a Sustainable Control of Phytoparasitic Nematodes)

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16 pages, 332 KiB

Open AccessReview

Bacteria as Biocontrol Tool against Phytoparasitic Nematodes

by Varvara D. Migunova and Nicola Sasanelli

Plants 2021, 10(2), 389; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/plants10020389 - 18 Feb 2021

Cited by 63 | Viewed by 6222

Abstract

Phytoparasitic nematodes cause severe damage and yield losses to numerous agricultural crops. Considering the revision of the EU legislation on the use of pesticides on agricultural crops, control strategies with low environmental impact are required. The approach based on the use of bacteria seems particularly promising as it also helps to reduce the applied amounts of chemicals and stabilize ecological changes. This paper gives an overview of the main types of bacteria that can be used as biological control agents against plant parasitic nematodes and their interrelationships with plants and other organisms. Many experiments have given positive results of phytoparasitic nematode control by bacteria, showing possible prospects for their application. In vitro, greenhouse and field experiments have shown that bacteria can regulate the development of ecto- and endoparasitic nematodes by different modes of action. Triggering the induction of plant defense mechanisms by bacteria is seen as the optimum tool because the efficacy of bacterial treatment can be higher than that of chemical pesticides or at least close to it. Moreover, bacterial application produces additional positive effects on growth stimulation, raises yields and suppresses other pathogenic microorganisms. Commercial formulations, both as single bacterial strains and bacterial complexes, are examined. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products for a Sustainable Control of Phytoparasitic Nematodes)

14 pages, 289 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperReview

Marine Organisms for the Sustainable Management of Plant Parasitic Nematodes

by Pasqua Veronico and Maria Teresa Melillo

Plants 2021, 10(2), 369; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/plants10020369 - 14 Feb 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2996

Abstract

Plant parasitic nematodes are annually responsible for the loss of 10%–25% of worldwide crop production, most of which is attributable to root-knot nematodes (RKNs) that infest a wide range of agricultural crops throughout the world. Current nematode control tools are not enough to ensure the effective management of these parasites, mainly due to the severe restrictions imposed on the use of chemical pesticides. Therefore, it is important to discover new potential nematicidal sources that are suitable for the development of additional safe and effective control strategies. In the last few decades, there has been an explosion of information about the use of seaweeds as plant growth stimulants and potential nematicides. Novel bioactive compounds have been isolated from marine cyanobacteria and sponges in an effort to find their application outside marine ecosystems and in the discovery of new drugs. Their potential as antihelmintics could also be exploited to find applicability against plant parasitic nematodes. The present review focuses on the activity of marine organisms on RKNs and their potential application as safe nematicidal agents. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Products for a Sustainable Control of Phytoparasitic Nematodes)

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