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10.3390/plants15020256
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Article

Chitosan Acts as a Sustainable Strategy for Integrated Management of Root-Knot Nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) in Cherry Tomato

by
Carolina González-Cardona
1,*,
Juan Camilo Orrego-Cardona
2,
Alejandro Ospina-Gutiérrez
2,
Claudia Nohemy Montoya-Estrada
3,
Jairo Eduardo Leguizamón-Caycedo
1,
Mauricio Soto-Suárez
4,
Alejandro Hurtado-Salazar
1 and
Nelson Ceballos-Aguirre
1
1
Doctorado en Ciencias Agrarias, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26-10, Manizales 170003, Caldas, Colombia
2
Programa de Ingeniería Agronómica, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26-10, Manizales 170003, Caldas, Colombia
3
Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Biotecnología Agroindustrial, Universidad Católica de Manizales, Carrera 23 N° 60-63, Manizales 170003, Caldas, Colombia
4
Corporación Colombiana de Investigación Agropecuaria-AGROSAVIA, Km 14 Vía, Mosquera, Bogotá, Mosquera 250047, Cundinamarca, Colombia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Plants 2026, 15(2), 256; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15020256
Submission received: 5 October 2025 / Revised: 13 December 2025 / Accepted: 22 December 2025 / Published: 14 January 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Abiotic and Biotic Stress of the Crops and Horticultural Plants, 2nd Edition)
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Abstract

Root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp., RKN) penetrate the roots of plants, blocking the flow of water and nutrients, preventing plant development, and causing losses of up to 68% in production. Its management is limited by the low availability of genetically resistant materials, the inefficient use of biological controllers, and the high risk of environmental contamination from the application of pesticides. The aim of this study was to contribute to the integrated management of (RKN) through the use of chitosan. A completely randomized experimental design was used in a factorial arrangement with two applications (foliar or edaphic), two cherry tomato genotypes (IAC1687 and LA2076), and eight treatments (three concentrations of chitosan (1.5–2.0–2.5 mg/mL), commercial controls and absolute controls). The yield and nematode population components were evaluated. The cherry tomato (IAC1687) obtained the greatest yield, with 33.517.1 kg/ha and an 85% reduction in the nematode population with the application of 2.5 mg/mL of chitosan to the soil. Chitosan improved the yield components of the evaluated cultivars and reduced nematode populations, suggesting that it can be a sustainable alternative in commercial production systems, as it can help reduce the use of chemical pesticides and improve health and crop productivity. As a limitation of this study, the use of acetic acid as a solvent for chitosan potentially interfered with the results associated with the nematode population, increasing bias and imprecision as there was no blockage due to light, temperature, or irrigation. Therefore, we suggest that future research explores alternative solvents to elucidate the mechanism of action or response of chitosan.
Keywords: nematode; chitin; edaphic application; foliar application; Solanum lycopersicum nematode; chitin; edaphic application; foliar application; Solanum lycopersicum

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MDPI and ACS Style

González-Cardona, C.; Orrego-Cardona, J.C.; Ospina-Gutiérrez, A.; Montoya-Estrada, C.N.; Leguizamón-Caycedo, J.E.; Soto-Suárez, M.; Hurtado-Salazar, A.; Ceballos-Aguirre, N. Chitosan Acts as a Sustainable Strategy for Integrated Management of Root-Knot Nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) in Cherry Tomato. Plants 2026, 15, 256. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15020256

AMA Style

González-Cardona C, Orrego-Cardona JC, Ospina-Gutiérrez A, Montoya-Estrada CN, Leguizamón-Caycedo JE, Soto-Suárez M, Hurtado-Salazar A, Ceballos-Aguirre N. Chitosan Acts as a Sustainable Strategy for Integrated Management of Root-Knot Nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) in Cherry Tomato. Plants. 2026; 15(2):256. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15020256

Chicago/Turabian Style

González-Cardona, Carolina, Juan Camilo Orrego-Cardona, Alejandro Ospina-Gutiérrez, Claudia Nohemy Montoya-Estrada, Jairo Eduardo Leguizamón-Caycedo, Mauricio Soto-Suárez, Alejandro Hurtado-Salazar, and Nelson Ceballos-Aguirre. 2026. "Chitosan Acts as a Sustainable Strategy for Integrated Management of Root-Knot Nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) in Cherry Tomato" Plants 15, no. 2: 256. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15020256

APA Style

González-Cardona, C., Orrego-Cardona, J. C., Ospina-Gutiérrez, A., Montoya-Estrada, C. N., Leguizamón-Caycedo, J. E., Soto-Suárez, M., Hurtado-Salazar, A., & Ceballos-Aguirre, N. (2026). Chitosan Acts as a Sustainable Strategy for Integrated Management of Root-Knot Nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) in Cherry Tomato. Plants, 15(2), 256. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15020256

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