Abstract

Phytoparasitic nematodes can be strongly destructive and extremely difficult to manage due to their poliphagy and worldwide spread. Plant-derived compounds can represent an environmentally sustainable alternative to chemicals for the control of these plant pests, due to the presence of nematicidal secondary metabolites in many botanical families (1). The essential oils from a large variety of plants have been already demonstrated for their high toxicity on phytonematodes, mainly root-knot species (2, 3), though the nematicidal potential of many other plant essential oils is still to be investigated and commercially exploited. Lavender hybrids or lavandins (Lavandula hybrida Rev.; Lamiaceae family) rank among the most economically important crops within the worldwide flavor and fragrance market. Their essential oils, extracted from flowering tips of a huge number of cultivars are widely used in soaps, cosmetics, perfumes, but recent developments in research have suggested a higher applicative potential of lavandin essential oil as a consequence of proven in vivo and in vitro analgesic, anti-inflammatory, sedative and antibacterial properties. The aim of this work was a preliminary assessment of the biocide activity of essential oils from lavandin varieties RC, Sumiens, Abrialis and Alba against two economically relevant phytonematode species, i.e. the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita and the root-lesion nematode Pratylenchus vulnus. The four essential oils were obtained by a 2 h steam distillation of freshly collected apical flowering parts of each lavandin variety. Batches of about 100 specimens of infective stages of M. incognita and P. vulnus were exposed to 100, 50, 25 and 12.5 ?l ml-1 solutions of each essential oil for 4, 8 and 24 h, assessing their viability after each exposure time. All the tested oils resulted highly active on P. vulnus, as 45 - 62% mortality rates occurred even after a 4 h exposure to the lowest concentrations and up to 90% of nematode specimens died after a 24 h treatment with the 100 ?l ml-1 oil solutions. Juveniles of M. incognita were found less sensitive than P. vulnus, mainly at the shorter times of exposure to the lower oil rates. Biocidal effect of L. hybrida oils was strictly dose and time related for both nematode species. Among the four lavandin cultivars, oil of Alba and RC were the most toxic to P. vulnus and M. incognita, respectively, whereas the oil of Abrialis was the less effective on both nematode species. Essential oils of L. hybrida demonstrated a high potential for the formulation of new environmentally safer nematicides, as highly and promptly active also at very low application rates.

Autore Pugliese

• Leonetti Paola , D'addabbo Trifone

Tutti gli autori

• S. Laquale; P. Leonetti; M.G. Bellardi; T. D'Addabbo

Titolo volume/Rivista

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Anno di pubblicazione

2014

ISSN

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ISBN

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Numero di citazioni Wos

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Settori ERC

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