EFFECT OF AGRI-TERRA® ON SOIL AND PLANT PARASITIC NEMATODES: EVIDENCES OF THE PHYSICAL MODE OF ACTION

According to in vitro and the Scanning Electron Microscopy studies, there is a lethal physical effect of Agri-Terra® on soil nematodes, affecting respiration and movement. Experimental evidences of that were obtained on plant parasitic and soil nematodes such as Meloidogyne arenaria and Caenorhabditis elegans. Field experiments were carried out on tobacco and potato. In tobacco, Agri-Terra® reduces significantly the populations of Globodera tabacum and Meloidogyne arenaria juveniles in soil. In potato, Agri-Terra® reduces significantly the populations of Globodera pallida juveniles in soil (compared to no-treatment and other commercial product treatment) and reduces the rate of increment for Globodera pallida juveniles in soil (compared to other commercial product treatments). As a consequence, continuous applicability of Agri-Terra® seems an efficient promising method for controlling cyst potato nematode, M. arenaria and G. tabacum. It seems, from statistical mono and multivariate analysis of both field experiments, that there is a positive synergistic effect on the non plant parasitic soil nematofauna due to action of Agri-Terra® according to some ecological soil indicators.