Water dissemination of Radopholus similis (Cobb)

on nitisol in Martinique
C. Chabrier , C. Mauriol-Bastol , P. Quénéhervé
1 1 2

1- CIRAD CIRAD, UPR Systèmes Bananes et Ananas, PRAM, Le Lamentin, Martinique, F-97285, France
2- IRD, UMR Résistance des plantes aux bioagresseurs (IRD/CIRAD/UM2), PRAM, Le Lamentin, Martinique, F-97285, France

Introduction

New banana-based cropping systems developed in the French West Indies combine fallow or rotation crops with nematode-
free vitro-plants, leading to an important reduction of nematicide applications. However, the burrowing nematode
Radopholus similis progressively reinfests banana fields and causes damages and economic losses again. Here, we study the
dissemination of R. similis by runoff, leaching at the local scale, and the reinfestation at the field scale. All studies were
conducted on nitisol representative of lowland banana fields in French West Indies.

Material and method

1. Run-off at the 1- meter scale: we analyzed dispersion of R. similis under a

rainfall simulator (60 mm/hr; from 12 to 72 minutes of rainfall period). We
collected soil samples and every 10 cm downstream, and run-off water in an
outlet tub.
1- runoff study:
Soil sampling after Rainfall simulation

2. Leaching of R. similis was studied in cylinders of soil (rainfalls simulation

from 12 mm to 540 mm). Nematodes were then extracted from soil layers (0-5
cm to 20-25 cm depth) following different procedures:
a- Seinhorst elutriator + Baermann funnel,
b- centrifugation-flotation + Meldola blue staining 2- leaching study: soil cylinder
in the aspersion chamber

3. At the field scale, reinfestation of nematodes was monitored plant by plant 3- field scale study

in an experimental field was divided in plots surrounded or not by ditches.

Key results 100 4

Motile Non motile Motile Non motile
Nematodes recovered (%)
Nematodes recovered (%)

1-Runoff 80
3

Water runoff is likely to disseminate R. similis

% recovered non motiles nematodes = 53.219e-0.0624x
60 R2 = 0.76
2
individuals over a longer distance on soil surface 40

when soil moisture is close to field capacity. 20

% recovered motiles nematodes = 24.20e-0.06x
R2 = 0.88
1

0 0
12 32 52 72 12 32 52 72
Duration of rainfall (min) Duration of rainfall (min)
100 100
2-Leaching
% recovered R. similis

Females
80 80
% living R. similis

Males
less than 8 % of the nematodes are leached 10 cm
60 Juveniles 60
deep after exceptional rainfalls
40 40 Females
Males
20 20
Juveniles
0 0
0 5 10 15 20 25 0 5 10 15 20 25
Depth (cm) Depth (cm)
3-Field scale
50- to 80-cm deep ditches prevent R. similis dissemination in banana fields.

Location of infested
(coloured) and uninfested
banana plants at first
flowering and at the third
flowering. Each number
corresponds to a banana plant.
Continuous lines represent
ditches in the field.
6 months after planting 22 months after planting

Existing cultural practices combined with an efficient hydraulic management can

definitely improve the sustainability of the banana field without using nematicides.