Plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) constitute the most damaging group of plant pathogens. Plant infections by root-knot nematodes (RKNs) alone could cause approximately 5% of global crop loss. Nematodes in soil are exposed to a diversity of microorganisms, of which nematophagous bacteria and fungi represent the most promising candidates to control RKNs. Bacterial species of a range of genera, such as Bacillus, Pseudomonas, and Pasteuria, were observed to exhibit antagonistic activity against RKNs, while the fungi that were detrimental to RKNs were commonly isolated from the phylum Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Zygomycota, and Chytridiomycota. With regard to microbial metabolites, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have attracted research attention in recent years due to their efficacy in killing RKNs. Additionally, the application of VOCs in agricultural practice could be both economically affordable and less toxic to humans than conventional nematicides.
Many economically important crops are hosts of RKNs, including tomato, potato, corn, soybean, maize, oats, wheat, and cotton [1][2][3]. The economic loss caused by RKNs has been estimated at USD 78 billion annually worldwide, accounting for half of the total loss due to PPNs [4]. Although the genus Meloidogyne consists of about 100 species [5], M. incognita, M. arenaria, M. javanica, and M. hapla are the four major species that infect more than 2000 plant species, particularly underground plant organs [1][6][7][8].
The life span of RKNs is about three to six weeks with a cycle comprising embryo, juvenile (J1, J2, J3, and J4), and adult stages [1]. RKNs reproduce via diverse mechanisms but mostly by parthenogenesis. The eggs of RKNs are laid in gelatinous masses in the soil or plant residues. The worms hatch as second-stage juveniles (J2), and they immediately move toward the roots of plant hosts, attack the elongation zone, and migrate to the root tip [9][10]. When they reach the apical meristem region, they transmigrate to the developing vascular cylinder, triggering the formation of giant cells, which serve as nutrient sinks to support the growth of the nematode. The juveniles then become sedentary and undergo three more molts before they turn into adults [11][12]. In the adult stage, the worm-shaped males move out of the plant root, but the sedentary females continuously develop into pear-shaped females. Afterward, the female adults begin laying eggs (more than 1000 eggs per female) on the external surface of the root [1][13][14].
VOCs are carbon-based, low-molecular-weight compounds that have high vapor pressure and easily evaporate at room temperature [50][51][52]. VOCs emitted by microorganisms are capable of controlling plant-parasitic fungi, insects, bacteria, and nematodes [53]. Therefore, microbial VOCs are suitable to apply to different agricultural systems with relatively low concentrations compared to agrochemicals, and supplemental spray or drench is not essential for the application of VOCs [45][54][55][56]. Microbial VOCs are diverse in terms of their chemical structures. They can be alcohols, ketones, hydrocarbons, terpenes, fatty acids, or heteroatom-containing compounds [57]. A vast number of microbial VOCs are archived in the mVOC 2.0 database, in which more than 2000 VOCs from approximately 1000 different microorganisms are categorized based on chemical structures, mass spectra, and microbial emitters [58][59].
VOC | Emitter | Effects on J2s | Egg Hatching Suppression | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Contact Toxicity | Fumigant Activity | |||||
Fatal | Attractant | Repellent | ||||
Acetaldehyde | Virgibacillus dokdonensis MCCC 1A00493 [60] | [60] | [60] | [60] | [60] | |
Acetic acid | Bacillus altitudinis AMCC 1040 [61] | [61] | ||||
Acetone | Paenibacillus polymyxa KM2501-1 [62] | [62] | ||||
Acetophenone | Pseudochrobactrum saccharolyticum [63] Arthrobacter nicotianae [63] Achromobacter xylosoxidans [63] |
[63] | ||||
4-acetylbenzoic | Paenibacillus polymyxa KM2501-1 [62] | [62] | ||||
Benzaldehyde | Ochrobactrum pseudogrignonense NC1 [64] | [64] | ||||
Benzeneacetaldehyde | Bacillus megaterium YMF3.25 [65] | [65] | [65] | |||
2,3-Butanedione | Bacillus altitudinis AMCC 1040 [61] | [61] | ||||
2-butanone | Virgibacillus dokdonensis MCCC 1A00493 [60] | [60] | ||||
Butyl isovalerate | Wautersiella falsenii [63] | [63] | ||||
Decanal | Bacillus megaterium YMF3.25 [65] | [65] | [65] | |||
2-decanol | Paenibacillus polymyxa KM2501-1 [62] | [62] | [62] | [62] | ||
2-decanone | Paenibacillus polymyxa KM2501-1 [62] | [62] | [62] | |||
Dimethyl disulfide | Pseudochrobactrum saccharolyticum [63] Wautersiella falsenii [63] Proteus hauseri [63] Arthrobacter nicotianae [63] Achromobacter xylosoxidans [63] Bacillus megaterium YMF3.25 [65] Bacillus atrophaeus GBSC56 [66] Ochrobactrum pseudogrignonense NC1 [64] Virgibacillus dokdonensis MCCC 1A00493 [60] Pseudomonas putida 1A00316 [67] Bacillus cereus Bc-cm103 [68] Bacillus aryabhattai MCCC 1K02966 [39] |
[60][64][66][67] | [63][65] | [60] | [67] | [65][67] |
1-(ethenyloxy)-octadecane | Pseudomonas putida 1A00316 [67] | [67] | [67] | |||
Ethylbenzene | Virgibacillus dokdonensis MCCC 1A00493 [60] | [60] | ||||
Ethyl 3,3-dimethylacrylate | Pseudochrobactrum saccharolyticum [63] | [63] | ||||
Furfural acetone | Paenibacillus polymyxa KM2501-1 [62] | [62] | [62] | [62] | ||
(Z)-hexen-1-ol acetate | Pseudomonas putida 1A00316 [67] | [67] | [67] | [67] | ||
2-Isopropoxy ethylamine | Bacillus altitudinis AMCC 1040 [61] | [61] | ||||
1-methoxy-4-methylbenzene | Wautersiella falsenii [63] Proteus hauseri [63] Achromobacter xylosoxidans [63] |
[63] | ||||
2-Methyl-butanoic acid | Bacillus altitudinis AMCC 1040 [61] |
[61] | ||||
3-Methyl-butanoic acid | Bacillus altitudinis AMCC 1040 [61] |
[61] | ||||
Methyl isovalerate | Bacillus atrophaeus GBSC56 [66] | [66] | ||||
Methyl thioacetate | Bacillus aryabhattai MCCC 1K02966 [39] | [39] | [39] | [39] | [39] | |
S-methyl thiobutyrate | Pseudochrobactrum saccharolyticum [63] Wautersiella falsenii [63] Proteus hauseri [63] Arthrobacter nicotianae [63] Achromobacter xylosoxidans [63] |
[63] | ||||
2-nonanol | Paenibacillus polymyxa KM2501-1 [62] | [62] | [62] | |||
2-nonanone | Pseudochrobactrum saccharolyticum [63] Wautersiella falsenii [63] Proteus hauseri [63] Achromobacter xylosoxidans [63] Bacillus megaterium YMF3.25 [65] Paenibacillus polymyxa KM2501-1 [62] Pseudomonas putida 1A00316 [67] |
[62][67] | [63][65] | [67] | [65][67] | |
Octanoic acid | Bacillus altitudinis AMCC 1040 [61] | [61] | ||||
2-octanone | Pseudomonas putida 1A00316 [67] | [67] | [67] | [67] | ||
2-undecanol | Paenibacillus polymyxa KM2501-1 [62] | [62] | [62] | |||
2-undecanone | Bacillus megaterium YMF3.25 [65] Bacillus atrophaeus GBSC56 [66] Pseudomonas putida 1A00316 [67] Paenibacillus polymyxa KM2501-1 [62] |
[62][66][67] | [62][65][67] | [62][67] | [65][67] | |
1-undecene | Pseudomonas putida 1A00316 [67] | [67] | [67] |
In total, 53 VOCs were identified from five bacteria, namely, Pseudochrobactrum saccharolyticum, Wautersiella falsenii, Proteus hauseri, Arthrobacter nicotianae, and Achromobacter xylosoxidans. Among the VOCs, S-methyl thiobutyrate, dimethyl disulfide, acetophenone, 2-nonanone, butyl isovalerate, ethyl 3,3-dimethylacrylate, and 1-methoxy-4-methylbenzene, exhibited significant nematicidal activity against both C. elegans and M. incognita in Petri plate experiments. Moreover, S-methyl thiobutyrate was the most active VOC [63]. Ochrobactrum pseudogrignonense NC1 significantly inhibited M. incognita in Petri plate and greenhouse trials. The main VOCs emitted by NC1, namely, dimethyl disulfide and benzaldehyde, also had nematicidal activity against M. incognita [64].
This entry is adapted from the peer-reviewed paper 10.3390/molecules27144355