Pineapple Nematodes of Southern Nigeria and their Management

Nematode pests of pineapple have not been well studied in Nigeria compared to other countries worldwide. In this study, the geographical distribution of nematodes associated with pineapple in Southern Nigeria and their management with organic manure and chemical pesticide was investigated. Pineapple fruits from the chemical-treated plots were also analyzed for pesticide residue in the fruits using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The study indicated a widespread distribution of plant-parasitic nematodes of pineapple in Southern Nigeria. Carbofuran (pesticide) and poultry manure effectively suppressed the population of plant-parasitic nematodes in naturally-infested pineapple plots and promoted crop yield. Carbofuran and its metabolites were not detected in the pineapple fruits that were tested for pesticide residue, suggesting that Carbofuran is not likely to constitute dietary risks for consumers of fruits from treated plots. This study is of importance to resource-poor farmers for nematode control, to the fruit processing and manufacturing industries as well as regulatory agencies for food safety and environmental protection.