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. 2025 Mar 14;57(1):20250002.
doi: 10.2478/jofnem-2025-0002. eCollection 2025 Feb.

Waitea circinata: a novel biocontrol agent against Meloidogyne enterolobii on tomato plants

Gianlucca de Urzêda Alves  1 , C G Felipe  1 , R F Denner  2 , R R Mara  2 , G A Leila  1
Affiliations

Waitea circinata: a novel biocontrol agent against Meloidogyne enterolobii on tomato plants

Gianlucca de Urzêda Alves et al. J Nematol. .

Abstract

Root-knot nematodes (RKN), particularly Meloidogyne enterolobii, pose a significant threat to agriculture, with current management heavily reliant on agrochemicals due to a scarcity of resistant crop varieties. This study explores orchid mycorrhizae, specifically Waitea circinata, as a sustainable biocontrol method to mitigate nematode infestation in tomato plants. The research aimed to compare different application methods and dosages of mycelial suspensions to reduce nematode reproduction and enhance plant health. Two application methods, root immersion for 24 hours and soil drenching, were tested with mycelial suspension concentrations ranging from 5 to 25 g.L-1. Results showed that a 15 g.L-1 suspension significantly reduced nematode reproduction factor (RF) by 53.4% and nematode density (DENS) by 49.4% while increasing root fresh weight (RFW) by 53.8% in drenching. In subsequent experiments, soil drenching with 15 g.L-1 mycelial suspension again reduced RF by 32.41% and DENS by 28.52%, with increases in shoot length (SL) by 26.31%, RFW by 20.42%, and shoot fresh weight (SFW) by 22.20%. Enzymatic analysis revealed that plants treated with W.circinata and inoculated with nematodes (Wc+Me) showed a substantial decline in RF (71.13%) and DENS (76.96%). Additionally, there was a marked increase in peroxidase (POX) and catalase (CAT) activity, with Wc plants displaying a 180% increase in POX and a 112.5% increase in CAT at root colonization onset. By day 21, Wc+Me plants exhibited further enzyme activity increases, with POX up by 128% and CAT by 67.6%. This study emphasizes the potential of W. circinata in enhancing plant resistance and reducing nematode impact, presenting a promising alternative to chemical control.

Keywords: Biological control; induced resistance; root-knot nematode; sustainability.

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Figures

Figure 1:
Figure 1:
Regression analysis for the effect of W. circinata dosages on M.enterolobii nematological variables in tomato plants in experiments 1 and 2. A–C) Polynomial regression curves fitted to the means of the final population (FP), density (DENS) and reproduction factor (RF). The data were obtained 35 DAT, and experiments 1 and 2 occurred independently between December 2022 and April 2023.
Figure 2:
Figure 2:
Peroxidase, catalase, and chitinase enzymatic activity analyzed in tomato leaves under different treatments. Negative control (Water), inoculation of 2000 J2 + M.enterolobii eggs (Me), irrigation with W. circinata mycelial suspension 15 g.L−1 (Wc), and treatment with inoculation of 2000 J2 + M.enterolobii eggs and watering of W. circinata mycelial suspension 15 g.L−1 (Wc+Me). Means followed by the same letters in columns were not significantly different according to the Tukey test (p < 0.05). Bars indicate the standard error of the mean. A) For POX, T-test revealed a significant difference between enzyme activity between Water (M = 0.190; SD = 0.26) and Wc (M = 0.533; SD = 0.065) on the third day; t(4) = −8.394, p = 0.001. B) For CAT, the T-test revealed a significant difference between enzyme activity between Water (M = 61.52; SD = 7.69) and Wc (M = 130.74; SD = 15.38) on the third day; t(4) = −6.971, p = 0.002. The T-test revealed a significant difference between enzyme activity between Water (M = 73.06; SD = 3.84) and Wc (M = 28.20; SD = 4.44) on the fifth day; t(4) = 13.229, p = 0.000. C) For CHI, the T-test revealed a significant difference between enzyme activity between Water (M = 63.01; SD = 3.11) and Wc (M = 50.39; SD = 1.51) on the third day; t(4) = 6.314, p = 0.003. The T-test revealed a significant difference between enzyme activity (M = 36.15; SD =1.04) and Wc (M = 29.21.74; SD = 3.914) on the fifth day; t(4) = 2.970, p = 0.041.
Figure 3:
Figure 3:
PCA plot of individuals with confidence ellipses around treatment categories and their contribution to Principal Components.
Figure 4:
Figure 4:
Principal Component Analysis (PCA) plot of enzymatic activities and collection day and their contribution to Principal Components.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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