Management of Root-knot Nematode Meloidogyne incognita on Mulberry with Passiflora foetida.

Background: The root knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita Chit wood infesting mulberry is economically important in silk industry as it affects the leaf yield both quantitatively and qualitatively which in turn affects the silkworm Bombyx mori L., growth and cocoon yield because its foliage is the sole food source of silkworm. Methods: Hence a pot experiment was conducted for the evaluation of efficacy of eco-friendly formulate like botanical extract from Passiflora foetida L., to manage nematode disease severity applied as soil amendment and aqueous leaf extract on nematode egg hatching. Result: After treatment, nematode infestation reduced significantly in terms of number of root knots/g root weight and nematode egg masses/g root weight in mulberry plants and the treated plants showed better growth in shoot and root length compared to control plants. The aqueous extract of P. foetida showed maximum inhibition of egg hatchability with an increase in the concentration of plant extract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]