Protecting cucumber from Meloidogyne incognita using graft onto resistant cucurbit rootstocks and antagonistic marigold as an alternative to nematicide

The effect of cucumber grafting onto suitable and selected two rootstocks, wax melon, Benincasa hispida (grafted onto Bh) and C. maxima x C. moshata Ercola hybrid 6001 (grafted onto Ercola 6001), marigold (Tagetes spp.) as root antagonistic plant and Rugby as a nematicide (two formulation, Rugby 10G and Rugby 20L) for control of Meloidogyne incognita cucumber root-knot were evaluated in nematode naturally infested soil under greenhouse conditions in two successive spring seasons (2011 and 2012). Cucumber, Cucumis sativus var. Sinai was planted as a scion. Results indicate that cucumber plants grafted onto Ercola hybrid 6001, C. maxima x C. moshata (Ercola 6001) and Bh had highly significant less root galling, number of females and egg-masses than non-grafted and infested one. The reduction in number of galls ranged between Rugby 10G (47%) grafted onto Bh (98.3%) and Rugby 10G (30.2%) grafted onto Ercola 6001 (84.5%), respectively in two seasons followed by grafted onto Ercola 6001 and marigold and finally Rugby 10G. These results indicated that maximum reduction in number of females and egg-masses forming was on cucumber grafting onto resistant plant rootstocks Bh; grafting onto resistant plant rootstocks Ercola 6001, followed by Rugby 20L, marigold and finally Rugby 10G, respectively as compared by nematode infested cucumber. Root-knot nematode (RKN) significantly decreased shoot plant height and leaf area, when they were grown in soil infested by RKN compared to infested plant (check). In addition, RKN infestation alone decreased the plant nematodes, in natural infested soil experiments in both seasons, data was non-significant. Plant and fruit characteristics; cucumber yields (number of days to first flower, fruit characteristics (fruits weight, length and diameter), total early fruits (first four gathering) and total fruit per plant were significantly improved in plant leaves compared with infested cucumber. Consequently, the shoot macro and micro-elements were increased compared with infested cucumber. The macro and micro-elements and chlorophyll contents were recorded but the variation between them were non-significant.