Control of Meloidogyne incognita on Potato Plant and its Associated Weeds with some Bioactive Agents and Chemicals under Field Conditions

A field study was conducted at Kafr Hakim village, Giza Governorate, Egypt, to evaluate the efficacy of different agents in controlling the root knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita infecting potato plants cv. Spunta and associated weeds and their effects on potato production. The different treatments used were; 1) ascorbic acid, an abiotic resistance-inducer, 2) intercropping of the crown daisy (Chrysanthemum coronarium L) a chemotaxis-inducer, 3) oxamyl, a nematicide and 4) Metribuzin, as herbicide. The study emphasized that all the treatments exhibited variable potential activities against the root knot nematode disease incidences and associated weeds and improved potato production. The tested parameters were; initial and final nematode populations, number of galls, number of egg masses, fresh and dry weights of weeds after 60 and 120 days from planting, growth characters and yield of potato plants. The most suppressive treatment was Metribuzin accompanied with ascorbic acid. The beneficial effects of the applied biological control system such as addition of ascorbic acid induced a systemic resistance in potato plants against M. incognita infection. Intercropping of crown daisy C. coronaium may lead to new protocols for controlling nematodes and weeds infestation.