Experiments were carried out on a 16 x 5 feet size clay-loam soil bed at Agricultural Experiment Station to determine whether damage caused by root-knot nematodes, Meloidogyne incognita on eggplants could be reduced by organic amendments. Dense population of juveniles and adults of Meloidogyne sp. was encountered in survey during the first crop cycle. Prior to the second cycle of experiment, experimental bed was thoroughly ploughed at 10 inches deep and amended with a mixture of commercially available chicken manure (containing 80 percent chicken manure and 20 percent saw dust), coir dust and decomposed seaweeds. Pre-grown seedlings of egg plants were transplanted onto the field and their growth performance was monitored at three growth stages.
Results/Conclusions
Random sampling at the third growth stage (fruiting) of plants revealed significant reduction in the number of juveniles and adults in the growing bed. Root gall index found variable among plants. Results suggest that use of organic soil amendment with a mixture of chicken manure, coir dust and decomposed seaweeds offer a practical solution for the control of root-knot nematode populations in home gardens.
