Precrop Effect of Red Clover (Trifolium pratense L.) and Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) on the Population Development of the Northern Root-Knot Nematode Meloidogyne hapla Chitwood, 1949 and on Succeeding Crops—A Pot Study

Abstract

The northern root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne hapla, is a major pest of many crop species. The objective of the study was to determine how M. hapla population dynamics is affected by two precrops, i.e., Trifolium pratense and Medicago sativa, in three crop durations: one, two and three years of continuous cultivation. Moreover, we set ourselves the task of evaluating the effect of the legume precrop soil on the growth of the succeeding tomato plant (Solanum lycopersicum) and on the nematode population. The experiment was performed outdoors in pots with naturally infected soil. Both precrop species investigated were found to modify the J2 nematode population density in the soil. The galls and nematode females with egg masses were observed on the roots of both studied plant species at the end of each growing season. They appeared to be more abundant on the red clover roots than on those of the alfalfa. The obtained data indicate that the spring soil sampling is more appropriate for the estimation of the M. hapla population density in the red clover precrop soil. The legume precrop soil had a limiting effect on tomato growth and fruit yield. The nematode population negatively influenced tomato growth. The experiment revealed that tomato plants could be planted in alfalfa precrop soil following at least three years of continuous alfalfa cultivation. The same cannot be said of the cultivation of red clover as a precrop for tomatoes.