Nematicidal activity of powder and extracts of Melia azedarach fruits against Meloidogyne incognita

Pulverised lyophilised (dehydrated) Melia azedarach ( Meliaceae ) fruits (PMF) were tested in a dose–response pot experiment against juveniles (J2) of the root‐knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita . Successively, with different extraction procedures, a polar (melia methanol extract, MME) and a non‐polar (melia oil, MO) fragments were obtained and their effects were tested on nematode motility and development, in dose and time response bioassays and pot experiments. An EC 50 value was calculated for all experiments. A dose–response effect was found in pot bioassays using PMF and, after an incubation period of 24 and 48 h, the EC 50 values were calculated at 0.41% and 0.34% w/w, respectively. Motility bioassays revealed a dose and time dependent response effect, after exposure to MME, but not to MO. Doses of MME higher than 0.08% were nematicidal, whereas lower ones were nematostatic (the loss of motility as a result of the presence of the substance was reversible). In a pot experiment, MME doses higher than 2.5% w/w caused 100% nematode control with EC 50 value of 0.916% w/w.