Comparative Efficacy of Chitosan-Silver Nanoparticles and Bioproducts as Alternative Strategies Against Root-Knot Nematode Meloidogyne incognita, and Their Impact on The Non-Target Organisms

Hamed, M.S.; Nasr, H.M.; Abbassy, M.A.; Rabea, Entsar

doi:10.21608/asejaiqjsae.2025.437933

Comparative Efficacy of Chitosan-Silver Nanoparticles and Bioproducts as Alternative Strategies Against Root-Knot Nematode Meloidogyne incognita, and Their Impact on The Non-Target Organisms

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Damanhour University, Damanhour, Egypt.

² Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Damanhour University, Damanhur, Egypt.

10.21608/asejaiqjsae.2025.437933

Abstract

Nematodes with diversified parasitism are deliberated an significant pest all over the world, producing substantial damage to agricultural crops and decreasing their yield, valued at over $175 to 200 billion worldwide. The current research was performed to evaluate the potentials of four growth promoters, chitosan, chitosan-silver nanoparticles (Ch-AgNPs), bacterial biopesticide (Pseudomonas fluorescens) and phosphite for the control of the nematode Meloidogyne incognita root-knot nematode. The capacity of chitosan to synthesize silver nanoparticle Ch-AgNPs was investigated in this work. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was employed to characterize the Ch-AgNP. The mean particle size of Ch-AgNPs ranged between 81.08 and 216.22 nm. Ch-AgNPs demonstrated notable nematicidal activity with an impressively low LC₅₀ value of 39.19 and 26.12 mg/L against J₂ larvae of M. incognita after 24 and 48 hours of treatment, respectively. Honeybee mortality increased with increasing concentrations of Ch-AgNPs. At the highest concentration tested (500 mg/L), mortality rates reached 20% after 72 hours, indicating a moderate impact on honeybee survival compared to other compounds. Earthworm mortality increased with higher concentrations of Ch-AgNPs. Mortality rates ranged from 10% to 46.67% after 4 weeks, indicating a moderate to high impact on earthworm populations. The results for Ch-AgNPs and phosphite even at the highest concentrations tested, showed these materials displayed very low toxicity towards earthworms, with weight loss similar to the control group.

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