Candidate plants to help soil pest control in Conservation Agriculture:
potential effects of 21 species used as cover crops in Madagascar
Naudin K1, Quaranta B2, Husson O3, Randriamanantsoa R4, Rabary B4, Rafarasoa LS5,
Michellon R3, Fernandes P6, Ratnadass A6
1
CIRAD, UPR Systèmes de Culture Annuels, 34398 Montpellier, France ;
[email protected]
2
ISTOM, 95094 Cergy Pontoise, France
3
CIRAD, UPR Couvert permanent, 34398 Montpellier, France
4
FOFIFA, 110 Antsirabe, Madagascar
5
Université d’Antananarivo, 101 Antananarivo, Madagascar
6
CIRAD, UPR HortSys, 34398 Montpellier, France
Keywords: upland rice, cropping systems, nematode
Introduction
Cover crops are one of the pillars of conservation agriculture (CA). Used in association or
rotation with the main crops, they contribute to insure functions such as : reduced runoff,
erosion, and weed pressure; soil structure and fertility improvement; forage production [32].
Alongside these beneficial effects, cover crops may also contribute to crop pest and disease
control [27]. In Madagascar 21 cover crop species are used in upland rice based CA cropping
systems (Table 1). These cover crops were selected mainly according to their capacity to
fulfil the functions cited above. The reduction of pest impact was not considered, although
pests such as “white grubs” and “black beetles” (Col., Scarabaeidae) are major constraints in
conventional and CA upland cropping systems in the Madagascan highlands [26, 28]. A
literature review was therefore conducted to assess the potential use of these 21 cover crops
to reduce the impact of pests on cropping systems.
Materials and Methods
The review analysed 38 scientific sources from the ScienceDirect®database and CIRAD
library. The mechanisms of action of the plants were reported following the typology of
effects proposed by Ratnadass et al [27], namely: (A) temporal pest/pathogen cycle
disruption via non-host effects; (B) resource concentration/dilution and spatial disruption of
pest dynamics/pathogen epidemics; (C) pest deterrence or repellence; (D) pest stimulation or
attraction; (E) below-ground allelopathic effects; (F) stimulation of soil pest-pathogen
antagonists; (G) crop physiological resistance via improved nutrition; (H) effects via
provision of alternative food to natural enemies of crop pests; (I) effects via provision of
refuges/shelters for predators due to vegetative structural/architectural characteristics; (J)
effects via microclimate alteration; (K) physical barrier effects.
Results and Discussion
Only one article reports effects of a plant on a black beetle: Trifolium repens on
Heteronychus arator [17]. Some articles report effects on various insects [4, 8, 9, 11, 14-16,
19, 21 , 30, 36] while most of the references document effects of plants on nematodes (Table
1). It was therefore concluded that in view of the high endemism in Madagascar and the lack
of references on the potential effects of plants on pests in the Malagasy context, these effects
should be tested locally. The selection of plants can focus on plants reported elsewhere as the
most effective against nematodes, which may be indicative of the production of biocide
molecules with a broader spectrum. Very few studies have been conducted on nematodes in
Madagascar[37]. Studies require specific knowledge and thus, the effects of plants on
nematodes are largely underestimated when evaluating the cropping systems. Thus, much
remains to be done to precisely assess the effects of cover crops on soil macrofauna in
general, and more specifically on pests. Such work is needed for better design and evaluation
of new CA cropping systems. Up to now, the effects of cover crops on pests have been
underestimated as compared to more visible effects such as weeds and erosion control [32],
and the ability of cover crops to reduce pest incidence is still underused.
References
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2006. European Journal of Soil Biology, 42, S136-S144.
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for Clean Water. , W.L. Hargrove, Editor. 1991, Soil and Water Conservation Society.
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El Moneim A, Bellar M, 1993. Nematol. medit., 21, 67-70.
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Jamjanya T, Quisenberry S, 1988. J. Econ. Entomol., 81, 697-704.
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Johnson AW, Burton GW, Wilson JP, Golden AM, 1995. J. Nematol., 27, 457-464.
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Jones JR, Lawrence KS, Lawrence GW, 2006. Nematropica, 36, 53-66.
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Khan ZR, Pickett JA, van den Berg J, Wadhams LJ, Woodcock CM, 2000. Pest
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King P, Mercer C, Meekings J, 1981. Entomol. Exp. Appl., 29, 109-116.
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Kokalis-burelle N, Rodriguez-Kaban R, 2006.Allelochemicals as biopesticides for
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LaPointe SL, 2003. Fla. Entomol., 86, 80-85.
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Luc M, Sikora R, Bridge J, 2005.Plant parasitic nematodes in subtropical and tropical
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Mangan F, Degregorio R, Schonbeck M, Herbert S, Guillard K, Hazzard R, Sideman
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McSorley R, 1999. J. Nematol., 31, 619-623.
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Quénéhervé P, Topart P, Martiny B, 1998. Nematropica, 28, 19-30.
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Randriamanantsoa R, Aberlenc H, Ralisoa O, Ratnadass A, Vercambre B.
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Ratnadass A, Fernandes P, Avelino J, Habib R, 2010. Agr. Sust. Dev., in press.
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Ratnadass A, Randriamanantsoa R, Rabearisoa MY, Rajaonera TE, Rafamatanantsoa
E, Isautier C, 2006.Dynastid white grubs as rainfed rice pests of agrosystem engineers in
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Regnault-Roger C, Philogène B, Vincent C, 2002.Biopesticides d'origine végétale, ed.
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Table 1. Inventory of actions of 21cover crops used in Madagascar on crops pests, references from literature. Effective part of plant : R : roots;
S : shoot/stem; L : leaves; MD: missing data, i.e. unknown. Mechanisms : A, B, C, D, E, F ,G, H, J, K (see Materials and Methods)
Cover crop
Familly -Specie
Fabaceae
Arachis pintoï, A. repens
Cajanus cajan
Pest targeted
Type
Nematoda
Insecta
Insecta
Nematoda
Insecta
Crotalaria grahamiana, C. spectabilis, Nematoda
C. juncea
Desmodium uncinatum
Nematoda
Insecta
Mucuna pruriens
Nematoda
V. unguiculata
Vicia villosa
Stylosanthes guianensis
Trifolium semipilosum, T. repens
Graminae
Avena sativa
Nematoda
Insecta
Insecta
Nematoda
Nematoda
Nematoda
Insecta
Nematoda
Insecta
Acarina
Brachiaria ruziziensis, B. brizantha, B. Nematoda
humidicola.
Cynodon dactylon
Nematoda
Insecta
Eleusine coracana
Nematoda
Lolium multiflorum
Nematoda
Insecta
Brassicaceae
Raphanus sativus
Nematoda
Effective part of Mechanisms
the plant
References
Pratylenchus loosi, Meloidogyne incognita, Meloidogyne paranaensis,
Roylenchus reniformis
Diaprepes abbreviatus
Cyrtomenus bergi
M. incognita , Meloidogyne javanica, R. reniformis, Heterodera cajani,
Pratylenchus zeae, Pratylenchus sudanensis.
Spodoptera exigua
M. incognita, Meloidogyne arenaria, Meloidogyne javanica, R. reniformis,
Pratylenchus brachyurus, P. zeae, Pratylenchus. coffeae, Radopholus similis
Hoplolaiminae genera, Meloidogyne spp.
Busseola fusca, Chilo partellus
Belonolaimus longicaudatus, Paratrichodorus minor, Criconemella ssp.,
Scutellonema ssp., Heterodera glycines, Tylenchorhynchus claytoni, M.
incognita, M. javanica, P. brachyurus, Ditylenchus sp, Aphelenchoides sp,
Aphelenchus avena, Tylenchus sp , R. reniformis
M. incognita, M. javanica, M. arenaria
C. partellus, Chilo orichalcociliellus, Sesamia calamistis
Delia radicum, Plutella xylostella
M. arenaria, Meloidogyne artiellia
M. incognita, M. javanica, P. brachyurus
Meloidogyne trifoliophila
Heteronychus arator
MD
Unknown
[20]
S, L
S, L
R
K
A
A
MD
R, L
Unknown
A, E, F, G
[19]
[30]
[20 , 29, 33 ,
34 , 36]
[36]
[20, 22, 29, 38]
MD
S, L
R, L
Unknown
C, G,
E, F, J
[20]
[14-16]
[3 , 25]
R
S, L
S, L
R
R
R
R
A, E
A, G, K
Unknown
A
A
A
C
[22 , 29]
[35]
[8, 21 ]
[10, 24]
[20 , 29]
[2 , 23]
[17]
Meloidogyne spp.
Tetanops myopaeformis
Oligonychus punicae, Scirtothrips citri
M. incognita, M. javanica
R, S, L
S, L
S, L
MD
B
H, K
D
Unknown
[29]
[9]
[4]
[7 , 29]
M. incognita
Spodoptera frugiperda
R. reniformis
R. reniformis
L. phyllopus
MD
MD
R
MD
MD
A
Unknown
A
Unknown
Unknown
[12]
[11]
[1]
[13]
[4]
A, E
[5 , 6, 18 , 29 ,
31 ]
Name
Heterodera schachtii, M. incognita, Meloidogyne halpa, R. reniformis, R
Trichodorus sp., Pratylenchus sp.