Enhanced Nematicidal Effect of Cowdung Soil Amendment by Neem (Azadirachta indica)

Field experiment was conducted during the rainy season (summer) of 2014 to determine the effect of mixture cow dung of neem on population of root knot nematode infesting okra. A parcel of land highly endemic to population of root knot nematode was chosen for the experiment. Treatments include sole neem at 11.5 g, sole cowdung at 100 g and mixture of cowdung and neem at 111.5 g were applied to individual crop stand in plots of size 2.0 M by 2.0 M. Furadan, a chemical nematicide was applied as a standard check. Non amended plots in which no treatment was applied served as a control. Crop stands numbering 16 per plot were planted with okra. The experiment was carried out in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Data were collected on nematodes population and plant growth parameters and subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) and means were separated using Fisher’s least significant difference (LSD). Results obtained showed mixture of neem and cow dung produced 27.6 second stage juvenile which was the lowest population obtained, with a concomitant highest okra yield of yield of 2.4 tons/hectre (T/ha). Sole neem and cow dung suppressed nematodes population by 35.3 and 98.6 respectively with attendant okra yield of 1.9 and 1.4 T/ha respectively. Amendment of soil with mixture of neem and cow dung substantially suppressed Meloidogyne spp. infesting okra and may provide practical control of root-knot nematodes as part of sustainable nematode management system.