GREEN ALTERNATIVES: EXPLORING THE NEMATICIDAL AND ANTIOXIDANT POTENTIAL OF GARLIC STALK EXTRACTS

The widespread use of synthetic chemicals in agriculture has led to significant environmental hazards. In response to this researchers are exploring plant-based materials as a more eco-friendly approach to agricultural practices. This study was aimed to investigate the nematicidal potential of garlic stalk extracts (aqueous, ethanolic, and fermented) against the root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) and evaluate their phenolic, flavonoid, and antioxidant contents. The results indicated that increasing concentration of the extracts led to higher immobility and mortality rates of M. incognita juveniles. The ethanolic extract was the most effective achieving 100% juvenile mortality, at concentrations of 50 and 75% after 72 hours. The fermented extract also showed promising result with mortality rates increasing from 72% to 94% after 72 hours. In contrast, the aqueous extract of garlic stalk exhibited significantly lower toxicity, with mortality rates ranging from 64% to 86% against M. incognita. Phytochemical analysis revealed that both ethanolic and aqueous extracts exhibited significant amounts of total phenolics and total flavonoids, demonstrating high antioxidant activity. Conversely, the fermented extract showed the lowest levels of total phenolics, total flavonoids, and exhibited the lowest antioxidant activity.