Effects of nematicidal phytochemicals on potato germination

Abstract

Plant parasitic nematodes are responsible for significant productivity losses in the potato crop. Among them, the root lesion nematodes (RLN), ranks 3rd in terms of induced damage. Integrated in a wider study that aims to replace the common application of synthetic compounds for the control of potato nematodes by environment safe plant secondary metabolites, this study intended to evaluate potato seed germination under the effect of compounds previously evaluated as nematotoxic. Preliminary in vitro experiments assessed the nematicidal activity of 35 standards of naturally occurring phytochemicals at 2 mg/mL for 24 h. Only 4 tested compounds achieved >99% mortality: benzaldehyde, carvacrol, octanol and thymol.