Root-knot Nematode Penetration and Sclareol Nematicidal Activity Assays

Abstract

Plant parasitic nematodes parasitize roots and/or stems of various plants thereby inhibiting absorption of nutrients and moisture. In particular, root-knot nematodes (RKN) are a group of the most devastating pests. Various techniques, such as soil sterilization, cultivation of resistant crops, and chemical application, have been developed to control damage caused by RKN. Among these techniques, diminish by chemicals that induce or activate host defense to RKN is an attractive method because of its potential to reduce the environmental burden caused by crop protection. Sclareol, a diterpene, was identified as a chemical that induces resistance to RKN (Fujimoto et al., 2015). Here we provide a protocol for assessing the impact of sclareol on the penetration of RKNs into tomato and Arabidopsis roots and the direct nematicidal impact of the chemical on nematodes. This protocol can be used for other nematode resistance-inducing chemicals.