Efficacy of oil-seed cakes against plant-parasitic nematodes and soil-inhabiting fungi on mungbean and chickpea

The efficiency of oil-seed cakes of neem (Azadirachta indica), castor (Ricinus communis), mustard (Brassica campestris) and duan (Eruca sativa) was evaluated against plant-parasitic nematodes and soil-inhabiting fungi infesting mungbean and the subsequent crop, chickpea, in field trials. The population of plant-parasitic nematodes, Meloidogyne incognita, Rotylenchulus reniformis, Tylenchorhynchus brassicae, Helicotylenchus indicus, etc., and the frequency of the pathogenic fungi Macrophomina phaseolina, Rhizoctonia solani, Phyllosticta phaseolina, Fusarium oxysporum f. ciceri, etc., were significantly reduced by these treatments, but the frequency of saprophytic fungi was increased. A several-fold improvement was observed in plant growth parameters, and the residual effects of oil-seed cakes were also noted in the subsequent crop, chickpea, in the next growing season. Depth of ploughing also influenced the population of plant-parasitic nematodes and the frequency of fungi.