Whey: The Soil Bio-Community Enhancer That Selectively Controls Root-Knot Nematodes

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Soil Microbiology
• Sustainable Pest Management

Background:

• Ecofriendly pest management is crucial in modern agriculture.
• Whey, a dairy processing byproduct, possesses fungicidal properties and benefits soil health.
• Root knot nematodes are significant agricultural pests.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of whey as a sustainable pest management tool against root knot nematodes.
• To assess whey's impact on soil microbial biomass and enzymatic activities.

Main Methods:

• Tomato plants were drip-irrigated with varying concentrations of whey (3.125% and 6.25%).
• Soil microbial biomass (bacteria, actinomycetes, fungi) and enzymatic activities (alkaline phosphatase, dehydrogenase, urease) were measured.
• A field experiment evaluated whey's efficacy against root knot nematodes, and in vitro studies determined EC50 values.

Main Results:

• Whey application dose-dependently increased Gram+, Gram- bacteria, actinomycetes, and fungi biomass.
• Bacterial feeding nematodes and soil enzymatic activities were augmented by whey treatment.
• A 6.25% whey application every 10 days achieved 70% efficacy against root knot nematodes in field trials.
• The in vitro EC50 for paralyzing Meloidogyne javanica was 3.2% (v/v).

Conclusions:

• Soil application of whey is a sustainable and ecofriendly method for controlling root knot nematodes.
• Whey enhances beneficial soil microorganisms and enzymatic functions, contributing to nutrient cycling.
• Whey offers a dual benefit of pest control and soil health improvement in agriculture.