Application of Tissue Culture Technique for Improving Tomato’s Tolerance to Root-Knot Nematode Infection

摘要: The influence of three medicinal plants extracts ie Neem (Azadirachta indica), Solanum (Solanum nigrum L), and Indian ginseng or Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera L) that were used for tomato seed germination cv Fatema and TY727 (F1) before transplanting in pots with sterilized soil on Meloidogyne incognita infection was studied under greenhouse conditions 30±5 C. Results indicated that all of the tested extracts protected and improved tomato plant growth of either Fatema or TY to a certain extent. Among all tested materials, neem extract at 5% gave the highest increment in fresh weight of the whole plant with values of 144.9% and 183.1%, respectively. The same trend was observed with respect to shoot dry weight and number of leaves of either tomato cultivars. The highest reduction percentage in number of galls and egg masses were obtained from pots received neem extract treatments which amounted to 100% on each variety. The results of RAPD on Fatema tomato cultivar indicated the presence of genetic variability as a result of present or absent of bands among the studied treatments. Of the 95 amplified bands, 86 were present in untreated plants, whereas, 84 were present in treated ones. Nine bands only were absent of untreated plant, but 11 bands were absent of treated plants with neem extract.