Soil health plants

Soil health plants

WHY GROW SOIL HEALTH PLANTS?

Soil is a living environment which contains a host of organisms including worms, fungi, bacteria and nematodes. Most of these have a positive effect on the soil but some species of nematode can damage crops and negatively impact their productivity.

In contrary, some of them as nematodes, can damage crops and have a negative impact on their productivity.

SOIL HEALTH PLANTS ARE A NATURAL ALTERNATIVE TO FIGHT AGAINST NEMATODES.


How do soil health plants work?

Some species, such as fodder radish or white mustard, are specifically bred for their specific resistance to nematodes and ability to actively reduce nematode populations.


ACTIVE REDUCTION

The nematodes resistant plant cells gets impermeable around eggs. The female nematodes and her offspring are captured in the plant. Deprived of food, the trapped nematodes will be destroyed.

Example : The fodder radish ANACONDA will actively reduce populations of these nematode species damaging beets, potatoes, maize and carrots :

  • MeloIdogyne chitwoodi
  • Meloïdogyne fallax

NATURAL REDUCTION

Non-host plants are unfavourable sites for female nematodes to reproduce. Without a suitable site, reproduction decreases and therefore the population will naturally decline.

Example : The white mustard varieties ARCHITECT and ULTIMO are non-hosts for the following nematode species damaging beet:

  • G Rostochiensis /G pallida