The Meloidogyne genus is widely recognized for its significant economic and scientific importance within the group of plant-parasitic nematodes. The chemical management of nematodes presents its challenges and heavily depends on employing soil fumigants containing toxic and costly nematicides. However, plant-derived essential oils offer promising alternatives, demonstrating a wide range of biological activities that affect nematodes through a range of mechanisms, including disrupting their nervous systems, inducing detrimental effects on plasma membrane permeability, penetrating the gelatinous matrix of nematode eggs, and disturbing intracellular redox status. Most of the extracted essential oils were predominantly sourced from the Lamiaceae family (32%), followed by Asteraceae (11%), Apiaceae (9%), and Poaceae (8%), and with genera Thymus, Mentha, Ocimum, Artemisia, Cymbopogon being the most common. The nematicidal activity of EOs primarily arises from their chemical groups, such as terpenes, phenylpropanoids, and organosulfur compounds. Among these, geraniol, carvacrol, limonene, eugenol, thymol, and pinene demonstrate the strongest nematicidal potential. The assessed EO efficacy was evaluated against 6 species belonging to the genus Meloidogyne. This review also provides knowledge of synergistic and antagonistic interactions of EO components. Synergistic interactions were identified between carvacrol and geraniol, as well as geraniol and eugenol, whereas binary combinations of carvacrol, γ-terpinene, and o-cymene exhibited reduced efficacy. Understanding how specific compounds interact can lead to the development of more potent and effective final products.

Soilless systems, such as hydroponics and aquaponics, are gaining popularity as a sustainable alternative to traditional soil-based agriculture, aiming at maximizing plant productivity while minimizing resource use. Nonetheless, the absence of a soil matrix poses challenges that require precise management of nutrients, effective control of salinity stress, and proactive strategies to master disease management. Plant growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPM) have emerged as a promising solution to overcome these issues. Research demonstrated that Bacillus, Pseudomonas, and Azospirillum are the most extensively studied genera for their effectiveness as growth promoters, inducing changes in root architecture morphology. Furthermore, PGPM inoculation, either alone or in synergy, can reverse the effects of nutrient deficiency and salt stress. The genera Pseudomonas and Trichoderma were recognized for their solid antagonistic traits, which make them highly effective biocontrol agents in hydroponic systems. The latest findings indicate their ability to significantly reduce disease severity index (DSI) through mycoparasitism, antibiosis, and induced systemic resistance. In aquaponic systems, the inoculation with Bacillus subtilis and Azospirillum brasilense demonstrated increased dissolved oxygen, improving water quality parameters and benefiting plant and fish growth and metabolism. This review also establishes the interaction variability between PGPM and growing media, implying the specificity for determining inoculation strategies to maximize the productivity of soilless cultivation systems. These findings suggest that using PGPM in soil-free settings could significantly contribute to sustainable crop production, addressing the challenges of nutrient management, disease control, and salinity issues.

Grapevines (Vitis vinifera L.) face significant challenges from abiotic stresses caused by climate change, including drought, salinity, and temperature extremes. This comprehensive review examined the role of beneficial microorganisms in enhancing grapevine tolerance to these stresses, focusing on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), and endophytes. The study analyzes species-specific effects and their molecular mechanisms, highlighting how single and consortium inoculations improve plant resilience. AMF species, particularly Funneliformis mosseae and Rhizophagus irregularis, demonstrated significant enhancement in drought and salinity tolerance through improved nutrient uptake and stress response modulation. The PGPRs, Bacillus and Pseudomonas species, show remarkable abilities to mitigate various abiotic stresses through mechanisms including phytohormone production and antioxidant defense enhancement. Endophytic microorganisms such as Pseudomonas fluorescens RG11 and Serendipita indica play crucial roles in stress mitigation through melatonin production and improved water retention, respectively. The synergistic effects of combined AMF, PGPR, and PGPF applications led to a significant increase in grapevine drought and salinity tolerance, improving nutrient uptake, photosynthesis rates, and antioxidant defense mechanisms. Molecular analysis revealed that these microbial consortia regulate the expression of stress-responsive genes, particularly VvNCED and VvP5CS, enhancing grapevine resilience through improved osmotic adjustment, ROS scavenging, and hormonal regulation. These findings provide valuable insights into the molecular pathways underlying stress tolerance, offering promising strategies for sustainable viticulture under climate change.

The use of treated wastewater (TWW) for agricultural irrigation is becoming more popular as a sustainable alternative to freshwater due to increasing water scarcity. While considerable research exists on the effects of TWW on soil microorganisms, its impact on soil nematodes, key indicators of soil health remains unexplored. This study assessed the effects of two years of TWW irrigation on soil nematode communities in abandoned fields cultivated with Lavender, Anise, Olive and Pomegranate trees. Seasonal soil samples were analyzed for nematode abundance, community composition and ecological indices. TWW irrigation modified soil nematode community structure, favoring the dominance of bacterivores (Acrobeloides) while suppressing plant-parasitic nematodes (Pratylenchus, Bitylenchus). Nematode-based indices showed no significant differences between TWW- and freshwater-irrigated soils, indicating stable and resilient communities. Seasonal precipitation levels strongly influenced nematode abundances, highlighting environmental resilience. Plant species did not create ecological niches, probably due to the strong influence of precipitation and soil properties; nevertheless, plant establishment increased nematode diversity over time, with omnivores and predators emerging alongside bacterivores and fungivores, reflecting recovery dynamics. Even though TWW irrigation is considered a type of disturbance, it facilitated soil nematode diversity and maintained ecological stability. Properly treated wastewater serves as a sustainable irrigation method that enhances soil health and biodiversity, rendering it a viable alternative for agricultural systems in degraded and water-scarce areas under changing climatic conditions.

In a greenhouse experiment, we studied the impact of Melia azedarach ripe fruit water extract (MWE), Furfural (a key ingredient of M. azedarach), and the commercial nematicide Oxamyl (Vydate^® 10 SL) on the soil free-living nematode community. Treatments were applied every 20 days for two months, and soil samples were collected 3 days after the last application (3DAA) and at the end of the cultivation period (34DAA). We assessed short- and long-term effects on nematode community structure, metabolic footprint, genus composition, and interaction networks. Oxamyl and Furfural significantly reduced bacterial and fungal feeder populations. MWE had no impact on free-living nematode populations. Oxamyl and Furfural-treated soil samples were dominated by Rhabditis at 3DAA and Meloidogyne spp. at 34DAA. On the contrary, MWE-treated soil showed a balanced distribution, with Rhabditis, Panagrolaimus, Mesorhabditis, and Diploscapter being equally abundant. MWE treatment exhibited higher diversity indices (Shannon and Simpson) and equitability. Network analysis showed that the Oxamyl network had the highest fragmentation, while the MWE and Furfural networks had higher cohesion compared to the control. Mesorhabditis spp. in the MWE network played a crucial role, being directly connected to the omnivore genera Thonus and Aporcelaimellus. Our results indicated that continuous MWE application, besides controlling Meloidogyne spp., could enhance the structure and stability of the soil-free-living nematode community.

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