Open Access

ARTICLE

Species of Trichoderma antagonistic to the root knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) in habanero pepper

Herrera-Parra E^1,2, J Ramos-Zapata¹, J Cristóbal-Alejo³, J Tun-Suarez³, A Reyes-Ramírez³

1 Departamento de Ecología Tropical, Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Km. 15.5 Carretera Mérida-Xmatkuil, Mérida, Yucatán, México. C.P. 97315 (jaramos.zapata@gmail.com) (elian.herrera09@gmail.com).
2 Campo Experimental Mocochá. INIFAP. Km. 25 Carretera Antigua a Mérida-Motul, Mocochá, Yucatán, México. C.P. 97450 (herrera.elizabeth@inifap.gob.mx).
3 División de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación. Instituto Tecnológico de Conkal. C.P. 97345. Conkal, Yucatán, México. Telephone and fax. 52 (999) 9 87 91 35 (jairoca54@hotmail.com.mx).

Address correspondence to: Jairo Cristóbal-Alejo, Conkal, Yucatán, México. C.P. 97345, e-mail:

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany 2018, 87(all), 7-13. https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2018.87.007

Abstract

The root knot nematode Meloidogyne spp. is an important endoparasite limiting the cultivation of horticultural species and affecting the plants of at least 3000 species, including grasses, vegetables, ornamentals, fruit and forest. The aim of this study was to estimate the potential of three species of Trichoderma as antagonists of M. incognita in plants of Capsicum chinense under greenhouse conditions. A bioassay was established with plants of C. chinense previously inoculated with Trichoderma spp. and transplanted to pots with sterile substrate; the plants were subsequently inoculated with 300 infective second-stage larvae (J₂) and 1000 larvae eggs of M. incognita. A completely randomized experimental design was implemented with six treatments (T. harzianum-C1, T. atroviride, T. virens, T. harzianum-C2, nematicide oxamyl 24% SL and a control) with 10 replicates for each treatment. After 60 days, the following parameters were recorded: number of galls per root, galling index, number of eggs and number of females per gram of root, as well as, plant height, dry shoot biomass, volume, length and fresh weight of root. In comparison with the control, the plants inoculated with the Trichoderma species and those which received the application of the nematicide oxamyl presented a reduction of 68.18% and 65.07%, respectively, in the number of galls per root, a galling index of 82.91% and 70.25%, respectively, number of eggs per gram of root 82.69% and 77.16%, respectively, and number of females per gram of root up to 50%. The fungal species studied in this work have potential as antagonistic agents against M. incognita, given that they present the same capacity as the nematicide oxamyl to reduce the galling index and reproduction of the nematode.

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