Nematicidal Activity of Secondary Metabolites from Soil Microbes

Control of plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) has become a complex problem because of their potential for damage and the lack of chemical nematicides as most of the chemical nematicides are banned due to health and environmental concerns. Therefore, there is an urgent need for low-cost, environmentally benign, and non-target organism-safe alternatives. Soil-dwelling microorganisms, notably bacteria and fungi, include natural antagonists of plant parasitic nematodes that can be exploited as a primary input for an integrated nematode control approach. In addition to direct antagonism, biological control agents (BCAs) produces several secondary metabolites that can potentially act as nematicides. This chapter reviews some secondary metabolites produced by these microorganisms and their mode of action against plant parasitic nematodes. Additionally, we have also reviewed the information on nematicidal metabolites from entomopathogenic nematodes. The information in the current chapter can be used to develop future bio-based solutions for managing PPNs in organic agriculture.