ABSTRACT
Root-knot nematodes limit lettuce crop productivity. Efficient control is achieved through integrated management, and research about the efficiency of new products for nutrition and biological control is required. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of fertilizers, applied alone or in combination with microorganisms based product on the control of Meloidogyne javanica in lettuce. In the first research (research 1), conducted at two different periods, the products Agro-Mos®, Soil-SetTM and Copper-Crop® applied on shoots were evaluated; in research 2, the same products were applied isolated on shoots or associated to NemOutTM (Bacillus licheniformis, B. subtilis and Trichoderma longibrachiatum) applied to the soil. In research 1, the fertilizers Agro-Mos®, Soil-SetTM and Copper-Crop® applied alone promoted reduction in reproduction of M. javanica ranging from 31 to 75%, 36 to 79%, and 71 to 75%, respectively. The effect on plant development was variable, obtaining better results of fresh shoot mass applying Copper-Crop®. The combination of products did not have an additional effect on the control of the nematode, on the contrary, in general the products had antagonistic action. However, fertilizers and biological control applied isolated were efficient for nematode control.
Keywords:
Lactuca sativa; alternative control; root-knot nematode; integrated management