Biofumigation Studies by Using Raphanus sativus and Eruca sativa as a Winter Cycle Crops to Control Root-knot Nematodes

An experiment was conducted to search the efficacy of radish (Raphanus sativus) and arugula (Eruca sativa) for the control of Meloidogyne arenaria in the commercial tomato growing greenhouse. R. sativus and E. sativa were used as winter cycle crops and lettuce as a susceptible crop and 4 months after sowing, host level of the treatment plants was evaluated. All parts of R. sativus and E. sativa were incorporated except lettuce was covered with transparent polyethylene film for 4 weeks. R. sativus and E. sativa had not any root galls, and these plants caused reducing number of juveniles in the soil, in contrast to control and lettuce plots before growing tomato. Gall index and egg masses were significantly decreased on tomatoes in plots of applied biofumigation with E. sativa and R. sativus. It was concluded that growing R. sativus and E. sativa as a winter cycle plants before susceptible plants would be helpful to reduce the damage of root-knot nematode M. arenaria and increased crop yields.