EVALUATION OF ORGANIC MATERIALS FOR INHIBITION OF NEMATODE REPRODUCTION IN SOYBEAN

Synthetic pesticides have been found to increase the yield of agricultural products over tenfold. However, the effects of pesticide misuse around the world include costly environmental pollution and disruption of the balance of nature in addition to their high cost and non-availability. Hence the need for search for alternative pesticide formulations to avert these undesirable effects. A study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of Neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) leaf powder and organic fertiliser for management of M. incognita in soybean (Glycine max) production. A screenhouse experiment was conducted to test the efficacy of neem leaf powder (NLP) and organic based fertiliser (OBF), alone and a combination of 50% each of the NLP and OBF against root galling and Meloidogyne incognita multiplication on soybean and their potency in grain yield improvement. The experiment was laid out in completely randomised design with three replications. Although all treatments were effective in reducing root galling and nematode reproduction, NLP applied alone gave the highest reduction (92.59 %) in gall formation and nematode multiplication (82.07 %), followed by NLP + OBF and then OBF alone. Increases in grain yield ranged from 103.08 to 108.46% in response to organic soil amendment. Integration of the two organic substances is a better and more promising strategy since it reduced the quantity of organic fertiliser that had to be transported to farmer’s field by 50%.