Evaluation of cultural practices (surface burning, deep ploughing, organic amendments) for management of rice root-knot nematode in rice-onion cropping system and their effect on onion (Allium cepa L.) yield

Rice hull burning (RHB) is a traditional cultural practice of many onion growers in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija, Philippines, mainly for weed control and increased yield. The resulting carbonized rice hull (ash) is incorporated into the soil during land preparation before transplanting of onion. Studies to evaluate the effect of RHB on the population of the rice root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne graminicola, and onion yield were conducted in a farmer's field naturally infested with the pathogen. Burning of 15-cm-deep rice hulls significantly reduced the nematode populations in the soil and increased onion yield. Increasing the thickness of rice hulls burned to 30 cm deep resulted in a yield increase of 44.2% over no RHB and 11.9% over 15-cm-deep rice hulls, while the yield increase with 15-cm-thick hulls was 28.8% over no RHB. Plots that received rice hulls 30 cm deep also produced 37.7% more large bulbs for export than those plots that received 15-cm-deep hulls, and 151.7% more than those plots with no RHB. Deep ploughing did not significantly affect nematode populations compared with standard ploughing. Organic amendment did not contribute to an increase in onion yield and has no effect on the population of rice root-knot nematode.