ABSTRACT
Polysaccharide-based compound from the fungus Pycnoporus sanguineus for the protection of tomato plants against Meloidogyne incognita

Bruna L. de Oliveira1, Thaísa M. Mioranza1*, José R. Stangarlin1, Odair J. Kuhn1, and Roberta Paulert2
 
New control strategies for Meloidogyne incognita are needed to meet the global demand for environmentally safe methods. The objective of this study was to use crude polysaccharide extract (CPE) from the basidiocarp of Pycnoporus sanguineus for the control of M. incognita in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) plants. Concentrations of 0, 100, 200, 400, and 500 mg L-1 CPE were used as well as three application methods for nematode control: Root immersion, foliar spraying, and a combination of both, all performed 3 d before pathogen inoculation. The number of galls and egg masses, egg viability, number of eggs and second-stage juveniles (J2) in the soil and root, as well as the reproduction factor, were evaluated. In the assays with different concentrations, reductions were observed in the number of galls (50%), egg masses (67%), nematodes in the soil (64%) and egg viability (76%) in concentrations 400, 500, 500 and 200 mg L-1, respectively. The most efficient application method was the combination of foliar spraying and root immersion using 500 mg L-1 CPE, which led to 70% and 74% reductions in root and soil nematodes, respectively, a 62% decline in egg viability, and a 68% decrease in the reproduction factor. These results indicate the potential of crude polysaccharide extract from P. sanguineus for the control of M. incognita in tomato plants.
Key words: Alternative control, basidiomycete, induced resistance, nematode, Solanum lycopersicum.
1Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná, UNIOESTE, Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Marechal Cândido Rondon, Paraná, Brazil.
2Universidade Federal do Paraná, UFPR, Setor Palotina, Paraná, Brazil.
*Corresponding author (jose.stangarlin@unioeste.br).
Received: 5 March 2026; Accepted: 16 June 2026, Available online: 3 August 2026.