Preliminary Findings on the Efficacy of Three Household Disinfectants to Suppress Anthurium Decline

Radopholus similis is the primary cause of anthurium (Anthurium andraeanum) "root rot and decline". Phenamiphos is the most effective nematicide to suppressthe nematodeandforestall decline; ethoprop is a good substitute, while oxamyland carbofuran are less effective. However,most traditional nematicides are becoming unavailable to growers, for various reasons. Dettol, Jeyes Fluid and bleach are proving very efficacious in disinfesting soil and some plant materials of noxious nematodes. These household disinfectants and cadusafos were compared with phenamiphos for control of R. simi/is and decline in anthurium. The treatments or water were initially applied to l2-we:ek old plants, then every five months. Leaf height, width and number, and R. similis populations in roots were measured initially, them at five, 10, and 14months. After 14months, leaves of the Dettol-, Jeyes Fluid- and bleach-treatedplants were shorter, and somewhatsmaller than at the outset. These and the control plants put on approximately 50% more leaves, while the phenamiphos- and cadusafos-treated plants almost doubled and tripled leaf numbers respectively. Leaves of phenamiphos-treated plants were marginally shorter than at the outset, but laminae were somewhat larger, while those of the cadusafos-treated plants were approximately 20% taller, and 30% larger. Only the cadusafos treatment suppressed R. simi/is. There is evidence of injury to plants treated with the household disinfectants.