Three greenhouse experiments were conducted to determine the effect of compost made from a mixture of blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) scrap and cypress (Taxodium distichum) sawdust on the reproduction of the root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne javanica. Crab scrap compost was mixed with fine sand soil, placed in pots, and inoculated with nematode eggs. A tomato seedling was transplanted to each pot and grown for ca. 8 weeks. In two experiments comparing various concentrations of crab scrap compost, 10% or 20% (w/w) was required to significantly (P 0.05) increase fresh root and foliar weight, and to decrease the root gall index and number of egg masses per plant compared to the control treatment. In a third experiment, raw crab scrap at 0.05% (w/w) was more effective in suppressing root galling and nematode reproduction than the crab scrap compost at 20% (w/w).
