Biological agents and their metabolites to control Meloidogyne spp. when growing vegetables (review)

Aim. Analysis of modern studies on the effectiveness of fungi and antagonist bacteria against Meloidogyne root-knot nematodes on vegetable crops. Materials and Methods. Studies of Russian and foreign scientists on the use of biological agents and their metabolites to control Meloidogyne spp. when growing vegetables have been carefully analysed. Results. The harmfulness of gall nematodes on vegetable crops is described. Studies on the most pathogenic species of Meloidogyne, including those common in Russia, are summarised. Information is given regarding features of the relationship between the host plant and phytoparasites are highlighted. An analysis of the range of chemical and biological nematicides is presented. The problem of the lack of effective environmentally friendly products able to control root-knot nematodes on vegetables, including the prospect of using biological agents, has been identified. The features of ongoing research on the study of the nematicidal activity of biological agents and their metabolites to control various stages of development of Meloidogyne species have been collected, analysed, systematised and described. The prospect of studying the mechanisms of action of microorganisms against root-knot nematodes is substantiated in order to create new effective biological nematicides that allow the growth of high-quality and healthy vegetable products. Conclusion. Gall nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) remain a current pest of soil-grown vegetables. Scientists are actively working on the study of nematophagous fungi and antagonist bacteria to create environmentally friendly biological nematicides. With proper use, biological agents and their metabolites can help protect plants from phytoparasites at the level of chemical nematicides and have an additional beneficial effect on the growth and development of vegetable crops.