Mucuna pruriens and other rotational crops for control of Meloidogyne incognita and Rotylenchulus reniformis in vegetables in polytunnels in Martinique

Two experiments were conducted in 1994 in Martinique to compare the efficac y of short-term rotations on the population decline of Meloidogyne incognit a and Rotylenchulus reniformis associated with vegetables and various plant s. Tomato, weeds, Tagetes erecta, Mucuna pruriens cv. utilis or Brachiaria decumbens were grown, or soil was left in clean fallow, for a three-month p eriod just before planting a crop of lettuce. For M. incognita, the greates t population decline was observed after M. pruriens and T. erecta (87% for both crops), while R, reniformis declined most after M. pruriens (86%). The leguminous forage plant, M. pruriens exhibited the best vegetative growth, soil coverage and weed competivity. The use of M. pruriens cv. utilis as a rotation crop may provide a practical and environmentally safe means for g rowers to suppress population densities of both M. incognita and R. renifor mis prior to the cultivation of susceptible short-term vegetable crops.