The authors wish to thank the National Council for
Research (CNPq), Foundation for Research of the State of Bahia
(FAPESB), and Foundation for Qualification of People for Superior
Education (CAPES) for funding this research and providing scholarships.
The nematode Radopholus similis is a major pest in
banana plantations worldwide. This nematode is actually controlled
using synthetic, toxic nematicides. Alternative control
methods are therefore needed. For instance the liquid byproduct
of fiber extraction from sisal (Agave sisalana) may
be used as a nematicide. Here we tested the nematicidal
activity of the sisal residue, fresh or fermented, on R. similis
in banana plants. We measured immobility and mortality
effects by nematode immersion in an aqueous solution of sisal
residue for 24 and 48 h. Nematode control was also evaluated
in the Grand Naine banana plants under greenhouse conditions
using soil amendments of residues. We measured plant
growth, pseudostem diameter, the number of leaves, and the
dry weight of the aerial parts, corm and roots, aswell as factors
related to nematode control such as the level of damage, the
population of R. similis in roots and soil, and nematode
reproduction factors. Our results show that the sisal residue
efficiently controlled R. similis in vitro, displaying mortality
rates of 99.2 % for the fresh residue. The damage caused by
R. similis on plants was similar for the treatment with the sisal
residue at a concentration of 25 % and with the nematicide.
This is the first report on the nematicidal effect of the sisal
liquid residue on the banana burrowing nematode. This byproduct
presents the potential for the development of new
alternatives for nematode control, with a low-cost and lowenvironmental
risk plant nematicide.
