A potted experiment was carried out to study effects of carbofuran (furadan) a synthetic nematicide and Morinda lucida (Brimstone tree) leaf powder and aqueous extract on root-knot infection, growth and yield of Celosia argentea. The Celosia seeds were sown in sterilized soil filled into pots. The experimental pots were each inoculated two weeks after planting with 5,000 nematode eggs. One week after Inoculation, the celosia plants were subjected to seven treatments which were 1.5kgai/ha, 1kgai/ of carbofuran, 100% and 50%concentration of Morinda lucida leaf extracts and also 2ton/ha and 1ton/ha and 1ton/ha of Morinda lucida leaf powder and the untreated. The result obtained indicated that the treatments had significant effect on number of leaves, plants height, number of branches, wet root weight, dry leaf weight, dry root weight and root gall index. Morinda lucida leaf powder applied at 2ton/ha gave the significantly highest increase in the growth and yield of celosia. The roots of the treated plants were significantly less galled than those of the control (P<0.05). However, there were no significant differences in leaf area, wet leaf weight, wet shoot weight and dry shoot weight of Celosia argentea.
Keywords: Celosia Argentea, Leaf Extract, Morinda Lucida, Nematode, Root-Knot Nematode, Synthetic Nematode
