Essential oils and its components in the control of Meloidogyne incognita in soybeans and tomatoes

Abstract

Essential oils derived from secondary plant metabolism may have activities against root-knot nematodes, Meloidogyne incognita. Because nematicides that are more efficient and less toxic to humans and the environment than those available are desirable to control this pathogen, this work aimed at studying the essential oil of Cinnamomum cassia and Allium sativum, which were described as active in vitro against the nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus. The essential oils of both species were obtained by hydrodistillation, initially dissolved in aqueous solution of Tween 80 at 0.01 g mL-1 and tested in vitro against M. incognita. At 62 μg mL-1 the oil emulsions were more active on eggs and second stage juveniles (J2) than Carbofuran at 173 μg mL-1. According to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis, the major constituent of C. cassia is (E) -cinnamaldehyde (83.3%), while for garlic oil were diallyl trisulfide (66.7%) and diallyl disulfide (21.3%). These constituents explained the in vitro nematicidal activity of the essential oil of each plant species. The emulsion of the C. cassia (500 μg mL-1), E)-cinnamaldehyde (416 μg mL-1) and garlic (250 μg mL -1) reduced the number of galls and eggs in roots soybean and tomatoes to values statistically equal to those obtained with Carbofuran at 415 μg mL-1. Vapors from the essential oils and (E)-cinnamaldehyde were active as much as the basamid fumigant nematicide used in the in vitro assays against M. incognita. Infectivity and reproduction of M. incognita in soybean and tomato plants grown on substrate artificially infested with nematode eggs and treated with 0.2 mL (garlic), 1.0 mL (E)-cinnamaldehyde and 0.25 g of Basamid were statistically equal among themselves in reducing the nematode population. These results unequivocally proofs of the nematicidal activity of the essential oils and of the (E)-cinnamaldehyde substance against M. incognita, therefore, both oil (E)-cinnamaldehyde are very promising to the development of new fumigant nematicides for the control of nematodes in soybean and tomato plants.