Effects of cover crops on Rotylenchulus reniformis and Hanseniella sp. populations

Until the last decade, pest management in a pineapple crop was efficiently done using pesticides. However, most of the pesticides are now banned for use in European overseas territories. An alternative is to establish a rotation, or rotations, between pineapple and plants that limit the development of these parasites. We tested 32 plants (mainly Fabaceae and Poaceae) for their potential to decrease the soil inoculum of the nematode Rotylenchulus reniformis and of the symphylid Hanseniella sp., the two main parasites affecting the growth and the production of pineapple crops in Martinique. Several field, greenhouse and climatic chamber experiments showed that among the cover plants tested Crotalaria juncea and C. spectabilis showed a strong suppressiveness for both parasites