Impact Assessment of Neem Products against Root-Knot Nematode, Meloidogyne incognita on Tomato

Neem, Azadirachta indica belongs to family Meliaceae is native to India, Bangladesh, Thailand, Nepal and Pakistan grown well in tropical and sub-tropical regions. It is well known fact that neem plant parts have immense medicinal value and great potential in lowering down various plant infections. To exploit the impact of neem based formulations on multiplication of root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita and growth of tomato cv. SL-120 was investigated under pot condition. The observations on the root weight, shoot weight, gall per plant and eggs per plant, eggs/plant, J2 population in soil, J2 population in soil, eggs per egg mass initial population, Total nematode population and their nematode multiplication factor showed that the various neem formulations used in the experiments i.e. Ethanol neem leaf extract @ 5% and 7.5%, Neem leaf extract@ 5% and 7.5%, Neem leaf compost@ 5% and 7.5%, Achook@ 5% and 7.5% and Neem cake @ 5% and 7.5 percent doses decreased the gall formation, egg formation, soil and root population and nematode multiplication factor parameters while a positive impact on tomato plant growth parameters i.e. root weight, shoot weight and total nematode population was observed. The root-drip treatments are more effective comparison to the soil application in experiments. The higher dose of neem formulations was observed to be more effective as compared to the lower dose i.e. 5.0 and 7.5 % of neem formulations on the reproduction parameters of the Meloidogyne incognita and the growth parameters of tomato plants.