Interaction of Root-Knot Nematode, Meloidogyne Incognita and Soil Fungi on Tomato

摘要

Root-knot nematodes are among the most important pests that parasitizes maximumrnagricultural crops. In the soil rhizosphere, there is a cohabitation of soil mycoflora-out of which bothrnpathogenic and saprophytic fungi are encountered. Thus, a natural competition is observed to occurrnbetween the pathogenic (causing diseases to crops) and saprophytic (mostly fungal bioagents knownrnto be potential against both fungal and root-knot nematode diseases). An investigation wasrnundertaken to find out the inter-relationship between the harmful root-knot nematode and soil fungirninfesting the common host tomato. It was found that the plants affected with both expressed morerndamaging appearance than singly. The plants appearing healthier however, expressed the predominancernof fungal bioagents namely Aspergillus nidulans var. dentatus, A. terreus, A. niger andrnTrichoderma viride and is attributed to have suppressed both M. incognita and the pathogenic fungus,rnRhizoctonia solani. Thus, the knowledge of the plant-microbes (fungus) interaction of the affectedrnarea would help in increasing the yield either through change of crop and/or non-chemical methodsrnlike fungal bioagents isolated from that area along with oil-seed cakes which possess both fungicidalrnand nematicidal properties.