This document discusses the use of neem products and essential oils for managing plant parasitic nematodes. It provides an overview of research conducted on neem and other botanicals for their nematicidal properties. Some key points include:
- Neem products like neem cake are directly toxic to nematodes and can change the soil environment to reduce nematode populations.
- Research in the 1960s first explored neem's nematicidal effects. Since then, other botanicals like essential oils containing carvacrol and thymol have also shown nematicidal potential.
- Methods of applying neem products and essential oils include soil amendments, seed treatments, root dips, and formulations for soil application. Further research aims
1. Neem Products and Essential Oils
Suitable for Management of Plant
Parasitic Nematodes
Vikas Bamel
2. “Nothing Is New Under the Sun
on This Earth- Only How We
Look at It, What We Look
(Observe) in It and How Best We
Use It to Our Advantage Is What
That Matters.”
3. Introduction
• Traditionally, Indian farmers knew that the
neem cake helps in reducing the soil borne
problems of pest and diseases and for
reclamation of sick soil.
• Nematological research was initiated work
on neem in 1960s.
• Besides neem, nematicidal potential of other
botanicals has also been exploited.
• Recently essential oils possess nematicidal
potential obtain from various aromatic and
culinary herbs, which contain the nematicidal
compounds carvacrol and thymol.
4. NEEM (Azadirachta indica)
• All parts and products are nematoxic
• No. of botanical pesticides registered in
India/ Internationally are neem based
• These are either oil based or kernel based
but mainly insecticidal formulations may not
be as effective against nematodes
• Nematicidal pesticides are yet come – so,
crude products are generally used
5. Basic concepts
• The basis of sustainable nematode control is the
maintenance of a healthy soil food-web.
• Neem products are directly toxic to nematodes and
indirectly change the soil environment.
• Neem is formulated on the basis of the azadirachtin
content, but recent studies showed a mixture of neem
chemicals may be acting together, and this could be
toxicity of crude extracts to nematodes.
• Usable nematicidal formulations from neem are to be
made
• Essential oils, the volatile compounds that give
fragrance to the plants
• Essential oils contain carvacrol and thymol.
Monoterpenes –citral, linalool, carvone, geraniol,
menthol and methyl chavicol were also found to be
nematicidal.
6. Development on the relevant area in the
world
• Very few reports nematicidal potential of neem from
outside Indian sub- continent though a volume of
work is on its bioactivity against insects.
• Worldwide interest due to its broad spectrum uses
for pesticidal, medicinal, industrial and other
purposes attracted neem more.
• Pure neem chemicals like aza (A) was not toxic to J2
of M. javanica Grandison (1992).
• Kraus et al., 1993; Maile, 1994 isolated a new class of
enneanotriterpenoids from neem cake viz. alpha-
nemalactone and bita -nemalactone, which were
nematicidal.
• Kraus et al (1994) also reported that crude extracts
of cake were more effective than pure aza., nimbin
salannin etc.
7. Development on the relevant area in the
world
• In an earlier work from Africa, crude extracts from
neem leaf and seed were found to be effective
against Pratylenchus brachurus and Meloidogyne
• Spot application of NSP and NC @ 100 g/ plant
reduced the populations of Pratylenchus gooodeyi
• Neem cake sold as a fertilizer in the U.S., as it
provides nitrogen in a slow-release form.
• Essential oils have antimicrobial and insecticidal
activity ( Isman, 1999; Janssen et al. )
• Oka et al. (2000) evaluated 27 spices of aromatic
plants out of 12 possess nematicidal activity
• Mentha rotundifolia, and Mentha spicata Carum
carvi, Foeniculum vulgare were highly effective at
hatching inhibition at 600 μl/ liter.
8. • Fertility value of neem as soil amendments was well
known and so widely used as crude forms like
leaves, neem seed, seed kernel, seed coat etc.
• Alternate methods were tried by many to reduce the
quantities such as seed treatments with neem
products (Mojumder 2002)
• Technology Offers from ICAR cited our seed
treatment technology for pulse crops as ‘Large Scale
Seed Treatment with Crude Neem Products for
Nematode Management’
(htpp://www.org.in/offer/icrop.htm
Status of research and innovation in
India
9. • Essential oils of Cymbopogon flexuosus
(Lemongrass), C. nardus (Jamrosa), Mentha arvensis
(Japanese mint), M. spicata (Spearmint), M. citrata
(citrata oil), Ocimum basilicum (Basil) and six
monoterpenoids – methyl chavicol, citral, linalool,
carvone, geraniol and menthol were evaluated
against Meloidogyne incognita (Sinha et al., 2006)
• Earlier Bhatti and Co workers (1984) also reported
nematicidal potential of Cymbopogan grasses
• More recently, we confirmed nematicidal potential of
Cymbopogan grasses like Lemongrass, Palmarosa
etc. (M. Sc. Thesis of Patidar)
Status of research and innovation in
India
10. Techniques and their principles and
methodology
• Screening of neem products or essential oils
To test direct toxicity, viability of treated nematodes,
hatchability, development of nematodes in the roots
• Bioassay/ pot culture assay for testing botanical
products:
Using As soil amendments is a very suitable
technique to screen the botanical products
• Extraction, isolation and testing of active
ingredients:
fractionation of neem seed kernel is generally done
by cold extraction method further isolation by HPLC
Extraction of essential oils done by steam
distillation for 1 h and by drying isolated oils over
anhydrous sodium sulfate and stored at 4 to 6°C.
11. Techniques and their principles and
methodology
Management of plant parasitic nematodes: Trials to
be conducted in lab/exp. Fields/ farmers’ fields for
confirmation/ demonstration
Development of technology package/
recommendation –kit: After the extensive
experimentation, a recommendation can be
suggested to farmers with use of nee products or
essential oils.Using As soil amendments is a very
suitable technique to screen the botanical products
Nematicidal formulations from botanicals: The
pesticidal formulations with botanicals, in general
are aimed at insect pests but for nematode control
the formulations May be of following types:
For soil application; For seed dressing; For root dip
Compatibility of neem with other bioagents and side
effects as soil amendments:
12. Methods of Application
• Traditional use of neem cake or other de-
oiled cakes was as soil amendments against
soil borne pests/ pathogens by farmers in
some parts of India
• Soil amendments with neem or any other
organic matter as crude products is the most
effective one
• Large quantities required demanded the
search for alternate methods
13. Some neem based pesticides tried
against plant parasitic nematodes
Oil based formulations Urea coatings
• Achhok® - Nimin®
• Nimbecidine® U-Coa
• Econeem® Modified neem oil®
• Neem Gold®
• Fieldmarshal®
• Neemark®
Powder formulations
• Neem Urza®
• BeejSuraksha®
15. Management of plant parasitic
nematodes
• Soil amendments: Broadcast, Spot or row and
Nursery bed applications
• Soil drenching
• Bare-root dip treatments
• Seed Treatment: Seed soaking and Seed coating
• Inter-cropping /use of neem seedlings
• Neem/ essential oil products in integrated nematode
management and in IPM
16. Application in nematology
• Soil amendments
• Most common method for application of neem.
• Fresh or dry leaves or powdered neem materials like
cake, seed kernel and seed coat suitable for soil
application.
• Dose is calculated on the basis of soil weight
• Effective dose was found to be 0.25 –2.0% w/w of
soil
• Neem cake is best suited, for soil application
17. Application in nematology
• Broadcast application
• Practical to apply only in cash crops like tobacco or
for experimental purposes
• Spot or row application
• NSP and NC @ 100 g/ plant at the time of planting
and after 3 months intervals, reduced Pratylenchus
goodeyi and Meloidogyne spp.
• Neem cake @ 15g/ spot at the time of sowing in
bitter gourd is also recommended against root knot
nematodes (Gill et al. 1991)
18. Application in nematology
• Nursery bed application
• This may be done either as soil amendment or as
soil drenching
• soil amendment @ 0.25-0.50 % (w/w) of soil with
powdered neem seed, neem cake and Achook®
reduced the root-knot nematode
• Soil drenching
• Soil drenching with 5 % (w/v) aqueous
extracts of neem seed kernel and neem seed
coat reduced root knot galling in chickpea
(Mojumder and Mishra, 1994b).
• soil drenching with essential oils were also effective
in reducing the root knot nematode infection
19. Nursery bed treatment with granular neem
formulations against root knot and reniform
nematodes in tomato.
Five granular formulations from
neem seed and leaves reduced
nematode populations and
resulted in healthy seedlings
On transplantation in infested
field plots with treated seedlings
showed reduction in nematode
population and increase in yield.
Neem seed, kernel, cake and
carbofuran showed 50% or more
reduction in nematode pop. with
about 30% increase in yield.
20. Application in nematology
• Bare-root dip treatments
• Root dip treatments, time of exposure as well as the
concentration of the extract are very crucial.
• Root dip in 1-5 % (w/v) aqueous extracts like neem
cake and Achook®
• Reduces RKN galling, nematode population in roots
and soil and significantly increases the plant growth
• Root-dip treatment in essential oils of lemongrass
and Palmarosa were effective in reducing root knot
nematode infestation in tomato
21. Application in nematology
• Seed treatment
• Seed treatments with crude and commercial neem
formulations are specially in transplanted crops
• For pulse crops, a 3-E Technology (Effective,
Economical and Easy-to-handle) package of seed
treatments proposed by (Mojumder and Mishra,
1997)
• Seed soaking
• Seed soaking for 3-6 h in aqueous extracts of neem
products @ 25 % (w/v) or even lower concentrations
for more time were effective against M. incognita in
mungbean
22. Application in nematology
• Seed coating
• Seed coating with crude or formulated neem
products effective phytonematodes
• Seed coating of pulse crops can be done
using gum as adhesive and chalk powder as
drier
• Liquid forms only drier can be used
• The effective dose against phytonematodes
has been found to be 10-20 % (w/w) for
powdered forms and 5 % (v/w) for liquid
forms.
23. Application in nematology
• Inter-cropping /use of neem seedlings
• Intercropping of neem seedlings with chickpea
reduces penetration and galling of M. incognita
• Under field conditions reduced plant parasitic
nematodes in mungbean and chickpea
• Neem in integrated nematode
management and in IPM
• Particularly, neem cake in combination with
nematicides, fertilizers , other nematode
management methods
• Neem coated urea still the integrated approach
against nematodes
24. Application in nematology
• Nematicidal formulations
• new granular nematicidal formulations developed and
tested against root knot and reniform nematodes
• Liquid and granular formulations developed from
basil and lemongrass oils had also been tested for
their nematicidal activity (Sinha et al. 2004).
• Compatibility of neem with other bioagents and side
effects as soil amendments
• Neem products as soil amendments bring changes in
the soil health and thus increase the plant tolerance.
These also change bio-agents present in the soil- so
care to be taken on their compatibility
25. Application in nematology
• Neem coated urea are meant for slow release of
nitrogen, also reduced reniform and RKN
• Neem products show synergistic effect with P.
lilacinus and V.chlamydosporium against root-knot
nematode in eggplant
• Negative effect on some entomopathogenic
nematodes like Heterorhabditis spp while on
Steinernema spp. no effect was seen.
26. Mode of action of Neem
• Most of the botanical pesticides in the market are
Neem based only
• Neem has more than 135 chemicals which have
bioactivity.the most important being azadirachtin.
• Most of active compounds show very little toxicity
but they reduce the viability of M. incognita juveniles
By (Mojumder et al.2002)
• Indirect effect of neem products soil amendments is
well known while not much has been done on the
induced resistance of neem products
27. Mode of action of essential oils
• Release terpenes
• Disrupt the cell membranes
• Cytoplasmic leakage
• Cell lyses & cell death
by cox et al. 1998
28. Future Prospects &Conclusion
• To find out the active ingredients of promising
plants/ products of plants
• To establish the mechanism of nematicidal action
directly as well as soil amendment is also equally
important.
• The possible prophytolactic action/ induced
resistance of neem/ botanicals against nematode
attack
• To develop ready to use granular or liquid
nematicidal formulations where besides azadirachtin
profile of other neem chemicals may also be given.
• Research on nematicidal potential of essential oils is
a new field and economical and sustainable methods
should be developed for attacking nematodes in soil.
