Effect of fresh chopped leaves of certain plants as biofumigants for management Meloidogyne spp. on tomato plants

In this research four plants i.e. Moringa (Moringa oleifera), Cabbage (Brassica aleracea), Cassia (Cassia nodosa) and Chinaberry (Melia azedaroch) were mixed, at three levels 1, 2 and 4% of soil weight to manag root-knot nematodes, Meloidogyne spp. under greenhouse conditions. Results revealed that chapped leaves of the four evaluated plants significantly, reduced all related nematode parameters i.e. number of galls, egg masses, females and developmental stages / root system, eggs / egg mass and number of juveniles / 250 g soil, in comparing with nematode alone. The highest significant reduction in galls, egg masses and J2 / 250 g soil (93, 92.8 and 89.6%, respectively) obtained with moringa at 4% of soil weight, followed by cabbage chapped leaves at 4% (90.8, 88.9 and 85.8%, respectively), whereas the lowest one observed with cassia chapped leaves at 1%. Generally, the effective dose was 4% regardless the plant species and the effective plant was moringa regardless the rate significantly enhanced all vegetative plant growth parameters i.e. fresh shoot and root weight (g), dry shoot weight (g), plant height and root length (g). Results showed also all treatments significant increase antioxidant enzymes activity i.e. peroxidase and phenoloxidase, total sugars, total phenols and proline concentration. Membrane leakage showed also highly significant decrease with all treatment compared with the plant treated with nematode alone.