Induction of tolerance to root-knot nematode by oxycom

Oxycom applications increased plant growth and population levels of Meloidogyne incognita on susceptible tomato. A single Oxycom drench at 2,500 ppm applied 7 days prior to inoculation with M. incognita provided remediation of plant growth measured 63 days later. This occurred without reducing nematode population levels. Follow-up drenches at 2,500 ppm at 10-day intervals stunted shoots and roots (P = 0.05). The same application rates at 20-day intervals did not reduce plant growth. Plants receiving multiple drenches had more galls (P = 0.05), females, and second-stage juveniles (J2) per root system compared to plants receiving only the single treatment. Foliar mass and height of plants treated with a single pre-inoculation Oxycom drench were indistinguishable from plants without nematodes. Oxycom treatments activated signaling pathways for plant defense as confirmed by detection of elevated defense gene transcripts in root tissues. The finding of increased reproduction of root-knot nematode without loss of plant growth is consistent with the definition of induced tolerance. Frequency, rate, and timing of applications need further study with other nematodes and various field settings.