Host status of green manures for two isolates of Pratylenchus brachyurus in Brazil

Abstract

Abstract Due to the complexity of management of plant-parasitic nematodes in cash crops, the use of non-chemical methods, such as rotation with green manures, has increased in recent years. However, data about the host status of green manures for lesion nematodes are scarce. Thus, two glasshouse trials were carried out to evaluate the host status of some green manures for two isolates of Pratylenchus brachyurus, a root-lesion nematode often found attacking soybean, maize and cotton in Brazil. Green manures tested were pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) cultivars Fava Larga and Iapar 43, Crotalaria juncea, C. spectabilis, C. mucronata, C. breviflora, C. ochroleuca, C. paulina, velvetbean (Mucuna pruriens) cvs Black, Dwarf and Gray. Soybean cv. Pintado and French marigold (Tagetes patula) were included as standard good and poor hosts for P. brachyurus. In a separate glasshouse experiment, a naturally infested soil was used to evaluate the suitability of two green manures to P. brachyurus in comparison with two gramineaceous cover crops. In addition, morphometric studies were carried out with the two isolates of P. brachyurus used in experiments in order to confirm the species. Among the 11 green manures tested, at least two, C. spectabilis and C. breviflora, can be useful as rotation crops to reduce population densities of P. brachyurus, irrespective of the origin of the nematode. By contrast, all velvetbean cultivars and C. juncea must be avoided in infested areas as they are good hosts for the nematode.