Antinematodal Activity of Some Tropical Rainforest Plants against the Pinewood Nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus

Sixty five methanolic extracts of Sumatran rainforest plants representing 63 species of 21 families were assayed in vivo for antinematodal activity against Bursaphelenchus xylophilus using our cotton ball-fungal mat method. Extracts of 27 plants species from 14 families exhibited antinematodal activity, while 37 species were inactive. Among them, three extracts of Bischofia javanica, Knema hookeriana and Areca catechu exhibited very strong activity at minimum effective dose (MED) of 0.7 mg/cotton ball (mg/bl.). Eight extracts from Allamanda cathartica, Ervatamia corymbosa, Hoya diversi- folia, Bischofia javanica, Derris malacensis, Melastoma melabathricum, Ophiorriza konsteleary and Brucea su- matrana also showed strong activity (MED, 5 mg/bl.).