EPIMECUS

Who is the project aimed at?

Horticultural producers 

Project objective

Determine the population dynamics of Meloidogyne spp. in cucurbit and solanaceous crop rotations in relation to agronomic and environmental factors in two representative areas of horticultural production in Spain: Andalusia and Catalonia. 

Determine the relationship between pre-transplant population densities and the yield of courgette, cucumber and watermelon.

Determine the effect of plant resistance and the biocontrol agent Paecilomyces lilacinus on Meloidogyne epidemiology.

Project description

Meloidogyne is the main nematode limiting horticultural production in Spain. For the past few decades, the most widely used method of nematode control has been the application of chemical nematicides to the soil, most of which are no longer available or are subject to use restrictions.

There is no effective control method that consistently and sustainably reduces population densities by 90% over time. Furthermore, control methods must be compatible with sustainable horticultural production.

The design of management strategies for sustainable agricultural systems must be based on knowledge of the biological characteristics of the pathogen and the epidemiology of the disease, as well as the local conditions of the production area, including both socioeconomic and environmental factors. It is also necessary to understand the mode of action and efficacy of the control measures to be applied, in order to establish the optimal timing for intervention and predict their potential effects on nematode viability or its interaction with the plant.

Therefore, the objectives of this project are to study changes in Meloidogyne population densities in cucurbit and solanaceous crops according to the management practices used by farmers in two representative areas of Spanish agriculture: Andalusia and Catalonia, and to assess the effect of these densities on cucurbit crop yields (e.g. courgette, cucumber and watermelon). 

This study includes the development and validation of nematode phenological models to determine the number of generations per crop, the population multiplication rate in relation to pre-transplant inoculum density, the effect of the nematode on crop yield, and the survival rate between crops in soils with different textures. In addition, the effect of environmentally low-impact management methods, such as plant resistance and the biocontrol agent Paecilomyces lilacinus, on Meloidogyne epidemiology will be determined.

Project funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation.