4452:
Effect of Vermicompost Tea On the Suppression of Root Knot Nematode (Melodogyne incognita)

Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Springs F & G
Abira Selvaraj , Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA
Antoon Ploeg , Department of Nematology, University of California, Riverside, CA
Milton E. McGiffen Jr. , Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA
Multiple studies have reported the effect of vermicompost in reducing plant fungal and bacterial diseases and nematode infestation in the soil. However, relatively less work has been done to investigate the effect of vermicompost tea (VCT) on the suppression of plant diseases. In this study, experiments were conducted to determine the ability of VCT to suppress nematodes in tomato plants grown in a greenhouse. In addition, the VCT is being further analyzed for fungal and bacterial diversity that might be present in the tea and contributing to the suppression of nematodes in the soil, using USER cloning technique and ribosomal intergenic space analysis (RISA) respectively. Data from ongoing microbiology experiments will also be presented.

Keywords: Vermicompost tea, ribosomal intergenic space analysis (RISA), uracil-specific excision reagent (USER), phytohormones, vermicompost

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