Root-Knot Nematode Management Using Chitin-Rich Fish Industry By-Product in Organic Brinjal Cultivation ^†

Root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita, is a silent enemy of brinjal and can cause fruit yield loss of up to 80% in organic brinjal cultivation. Effective management of M. incognita using synthetic nematicide could be detrimental to non-target organisms and the environment. The aim of this study was to explore the impact of chitin-rich shrimp and crab exoskeleton soil amendments on M. incognita growth. To this end, a green house experiment was conducted with and without shrimp and crab exoskeleton amendment. We recorded root-knot number, root and shoot length and fresh and dry weight after one month. The findings revealed that crab and shrimp chitin amendment-treated plants exhibited a significant reduction in the number of galls with the values of 15.5 and 25.75, respectively, than the control (35.5) at p < 0.05. The shoot length (14.90 cm), shoot fresh weight (5.39 g) and shoot dry weight (4.46 g) of brinjal were the highest in crab powder-treated plants at p < 0.05, whereas, root fresh (1.53 g) and dry weight (0.14 g) were highest in the control. We conclude that crab and shrimp exoskeleton powders suppress the M. incognita infestation and improve the growth parameters of the brinjal. Extensive field studies are needed to recommend chitin as an alternative to nematicides to manage M. incognita in organic brinjal cultivation.