Extreme Temperature Switches Eliminate Root-Knot Nematodes: A Greenhouse Study
Root-knot nematodes (RKNs) severely affect the yield and quality of vegetable crops. While some chemical pesticides can effectively eliminate RKNs, they leave behind significant pesticide residues in vegetables and soil that are potentially harmful for humans. Research suggests that dormant RKNs in...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-01-01
|
| Series: | Horticulturae |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/9/2/139 |
| _version_ | 1797620647860371456 |
|---|---|
| author | Zifan Wang Hua Ji Dandan Wang Qingyin Zhang Lianfen Qi Yan Li Jianhua Shi Zhonglin Shang |
| author_facet | Zifan Wang Hua Ji Dandan Wang Qingyin Zhang Lianfen Qi Yan Li Jianhua Shi Zhonglin Shang |
| author_sort | Zifan Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Root-knot nematodes (RKNs) severely affect the yield and quality of vegetable crops. While some chemical pesticides can effectively eliminate RKNs, they leave behind significant pesticide residues in vegetables and soil that are potentially harmful for humans. Research suggests that dormant RKNs in the soil become active in the presence of a host, upon which they become sensitive to extreme temperature changes. Here, we tested a novel method to eliminate RKNs (<i>Meloidogyne incognita</i>) in a greenhouse setting. RKNs were first activated by water spinach, at which point the soil was heated by natural sunlight and suddenly cooled by the addition of dry ice. This rapid change in temperature eliminated >90% of activated RKNs. After the temperature treatment, the physical features of soil did not change; however, soil porosity, available potassium content and soil invertase activity increased markedly. The treated soil was then used for cucumber planting to test its viability. Compared with cucumber plants grown in untreated soil, plants in treated soil had higher, thicker, and stronger shoots, and higher photosynthetic ability. Cucumber plants grown in untreated soil were severely infested with nematodes while few plants grown in treated soil had root knots containing nematodes. Based on these findings, we suggest that host plant induction followed by switched temperature treatment is an effective, easy, safe, and cost-effective method for eliminating RKNs. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:45:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0d3429f81f0c438ba09b0c585aa326c0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2311-7524 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:45:35Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Horticulturae |
| spelling | doaj.art-0d3429f81f0c438ba09b0c585aa326c02023-11-16T20:49:11ZengMDPI AGHorticulturae2311-75242023-01-019213910.3390/horticulturae9020139Extreme Temperature Switches Eliminate Root-Knot Nematodes: A Greenhouse StudyZifan Wang0Hua Ji1Dandan Wang2Qingyin Zhang3Lianfen Qi4Yan Li5Jianhua Shi6Zhonglin Shang7Shijiazhuang Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Shijiazhuang 050041, ChinaInstitute of Biotechnology and Food Science, Hebei Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Shijiazhuang 050031, ChinaShijiazhuang Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Shijiazhuang 050041, ChinaShijiazhuang Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Shijiazhuang 050041, ChinaShijiazhuang Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Shijiazhuang 050041, ChinaShijiazhuang Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Shijiazhuang 050041, ChinaShijiazhuang Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Shijiazhuang 050041, ChinaHebei Collaboration Innovation Center for Cell Signaling and Environmental Adaptation, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024, ChinaRoot-knot nematodes (RKNs) severely affect the yield and quality of vegetable crops. While some chemical pesticides can effectively eliminate RKNs, they leave behind significant pesticide residues in vegetables and soil that are potentially harmful for humans. Research suggests that dormant RKNs in the soil become active in the presence of a host, upon which they become sensitive to extreme temperature changes. Here, we tested a novel method to eliminate RKNs (<i>Meloidogyne incognita</i>) in a greenhouse setting. RKNs were first activated by water spinach, at which point the soil was heated by natural sunlight and suddenly cooled by the addition of dry ice. This rapid change in temperature eliminated >90% of activated RKNs. After the temperature treatment, the physical features of soil did not change; however, soil porosity, available potassium content and soil invertase activity increased markedly. The treated soil was then used for cucumber planting to test its viability. Compared with cucumber plants grown in untreated soil, plants in treated soil had higher, thicker, and stronger shoots, and higher photosynthetic ability. Cucumber plants grown in untreated soil were severely infested with nematodes while few plants grown in treated soil had root knots containing nematodes. Based on these findings, we suggest that host plant induction followed by switched temperature treatment is an effective, easy, safe, and cost-effective method for eliminating RKNs.https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/9/2/139root knot nematodesswitched temperature treatmentwater spinachcucumber<i>Meloidogyne incognita</i> |
| spellingShingle | Zifan Wang Hua Ji Dandan Wang Qingyin Zhang Lianfen Qi Yan Li Jianhua Shi Zhonglin Shang Extreme Temperature Switches Eliminate Root-Knot Nematodes: A Greenhouse Study Horticulturae root knot nematodes switched temperature treatment water spinach cucumber <i>Meloidogyne incognita</i> |
| title | Extreme Temperature Switches Eliminate Root-Knot Nematodes: A Greenhouse Study |
| title_full | Extreme Temperature Switches Eliminate Root-Knot Nematodes: A Greenhouse Study |
| title_fullStr | Extreme Temperature Switches Eliminate Root-Knot Nematodes: A Greenhouse Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Extreme Temperature Switches Eliminate Root-Knot Nematodes: A Greenhouse Study |
| title_short | Extreme Temperature Switches Eliminate Root-Knot Nematodes: A Greenhouse Study |
| title_sort | extreme temperature switches eliminate root knot nematodes a greenhouse study |
| topic | root knot nematodes switched temperature treatment water spinach cucumber <i>Meloidogyne incognita</i> |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/9/2/139 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT zifanwang extremetemperatureswitcheseliminaterootknotnematodesagreenhousestudy AT huaji extremetemperatureswitcheseliminaterootknotnematodesagreenhousestudy AT dandanwang extremetemperatureswitcheseliminaterootknotnematodesagreenhousestudy AT qingyinzhang extremetemperatureswitcheseliminaterootknotnematodesagreenhousestudy AT lianfenqi extremetemperatureswitcheseliminaterootknotnematodesagreenhousestudy AT yanli extremetemperatureswitcheseliminaterootknotnematodesagreenhousestudy AT jianhuashi extremetemperatureswitcheseliminaterootknotnematodesagreenhousestudy AT zhonglinshang extremetemperatureswitcheseliminaterootknotnematodesagreenhousestudy |