Skip to main content
ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Mycology and Nematology Genetic Diversity and Biology Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #303932

Title: Mustard seed meal amendments for suppression of Meloidogyne incognita on tomato

Author
item MEYER, SUSAN
item Zasada, Inga
item RUPPRECHT, SHANNON
item HOOKS, CERRUTI - UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
item MORRA, MATTHEW - UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO
item EVERTS, KATHRYNE - UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND

Submitted to: Phytopathology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/12/2014
Publication Date: 11/1/2014
Citation: Meyer, S.L., Zasada, I.A., Rupprecht, S.M., Hooks, C.R., Morra, M.J., Everts, K.L. 2014. Mustard seed meal amendments for suppression of Meloidogyne incognita on tomato. Phytopathology. 104(S3):80.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Mustard seed meal is applied to soil as a fertilizer and for suppressing weeds and pathogens. Brassica juncea (Bj) ‘Pacific Gold’ and Sinapis alba (Sa) ‘IdaGold’ seed meals were tested for suppression of Meloidogyne incognita on tomato ‘BHN 444’. In greenhouse trials these treatments (all 0.25% weight meal:weight soil) were evaluated (eight pots in each of two trials): untreated controls with or without plastic tarp; linseed controls with or without tarp; Sa; Bj; 3:1 Sa:Bj; 1:1 Sa:Bj; and 1:3 Sa:Bj. Soil in each pot was inoculated with 5,000 nematode eggs and planted with tomato seedlings two weeks later. After five weeks, the highest and lowest egg counts (Trial 1) were 1,283 eggs/g root (tarped control) and 7 eggs/g root (Bj; P < 0.05). In Trial 2, eggs/g root were similar in all mustard seed meal amendments, but 3:1 Sa:Bj suppressed egg numbers compared with the untreated or linseed controls (174 eggs/g root vs. 824-1,099 eggs/g root). In a 2013 tomato field study, treatments were (kg/ha): 560 20-03-18 NPK fertilizer + 5 0-44-0 NPK fertilizer; 1,904 Sa; 1,904 Bj; 952 Sa; 952 Bj; 1,904 (3:1 Sa:Bj); 1,904 (1:1 Sa:Bj); 1,904 (1:3 Sa:Bj); and 1,904 Bj (finely ground), five replicates per treatment. At harvest, there were no significant differences among treatments in fresh root weights or number of eggs/g root (two root systems per plot). While some mustard seed meals suppressed M. incognita in the greenhouse, the rates applied in the field were not sufficient to reduce M. incognita on tomato.