Botanical Nematicides, Recent Findings

Following the withdraw of synthetic nematicides such as organophosphates, carbamates and methyl bromide there is a great need for new compounds to control phytonematodes. The repetitive use of the few currently available commercial nematicides and the subsequent increase of microbial biodegradation in soil, led to low efficacy on nematode control under field conditions. On the other hand, high nematode population favors secondary infestations with other soil pathogens that even lead to total crop damage. Thus, new molecules with high nematicidal are needed as potential prototypes for synthesis of new nematicidal compounds by the industry. In recent years, botanical species are studied and exploited in terms of nematicidal properties in the frame of integrated crop management programs. To date, the efficacy is attributed to specific compounds that are characterized as active ingredients, and this is feasible due to the availability of analytical instruments and the familiarity with purification techniques that favor bioassay-guided fractionation. Nonetheless, the delineation of the biochemical mode of action of these compounds is a missing piece in the botanical's nematicidal efficacy puzzle. Herein we report the most recent chemical groups of botanicals compounds with nematicidal activity, together with their mode of action. (C) 2014 American Chemical Society