Effect of sugarcane molasses and ash on the organic management of root-knot nematode Meloidogyne javanica in tomato

Abstract

The research was conducted to find out the effect of sugarcane molasses and ash on the organic management of root knot nematodes under screen house conditions. Sugarcane molasses were used @ 10 ml/kg, 20 ml/kg and 30 ml/kg of soil and ash @ 10 g/kg, 20 g/kg and 30 g/kg of soil twenty-one days before transplantation. Both the organic amendments were found effective against root-knot nematode. However, sugarcane molasses was more effective than ash and showed better results in terms of shoot and root lengths, fresh and dry shoot weight of tomato plant. Both the amendments (i.e. the sugarcane molasses and ash) significantly reduced galls plant-1 (41.40 and 48.4), galling index (3.00), egg masses/plant root system (23.40 and 28.20), fresh root weight (12.24 and 14.34 g) and dry root weight (4.89 and 5.73 g). Molasses and ash also significantly enhanced fresh shoot weight (60.20 and 57.40 g), dry shoot weight (10.36 and 9.12 g), shoot length (83.80 and 75.20 cm) and root length (26.20 and 24.00 cm) of tomato respectively. Sugarcane molasses and ash have been found with no toxic effect on plants.