Host status and sensitivity of cancer bush (Sutherlandia frutescens) to Meloidogyne enterolobii.

Abstract

Cancer bush (Sutherlandia frutescens) is a medicinal plant with extensive medicinal properties and pharmacological applications. The attempts to increase the cultivation of the cancer bush are hampered by new incidences of nematode pests, such as Meloidogyne enterolobii. For an effective management strategy to be developed against a nematode pest, the host status and sensitivity of the test plant need to be empirically established. Hence, the objective of the study was to establish the host status and sensitivity of S. frutescens to M. enterolobii. To achieve this objective, S. frutenscens seedlings were subjected to 0, 25, 50, 125, 250, 625, 1250 and 3125 M. enterolobii eggs and second-stage juveniles (J2) under microplot and shade net conditions in 2024. At 56 days post-inoculation, plant and nematode variables were measured, and the reproductive factor (RF) was calculated. The RFs in both experiments were greater than 1 at nematode levels below 50, and below one at higher levels, establishing the M. enterolobii reproductive equilibrium position at 50 inoculum levels under these two growth conditions. However, not all cancer bush growth variables were affected by the M. enterolobii infection. The empirical evidence from this study indicates that the cancer bush is tolerant to M. enterolobii.