Field efficacy of bioagents for management of root knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) in Tomato

The efficacy of different bio-control agents viz. Trichoderma viride, Paecilomyces lilacinus, Pochonia chlamydosporia and Pseudomonas fluorescens alone and in combination with Paecilomyces lilacinus as soil application in tomato cv. Pusa Ruby were evaluated. The results indicated that all these bicontrol agents either alone (50g/m2) or in combination (25g each/m2) with Paecilomyces lilacinus significantly reduced the number of galls/plant, number of egg masses/plant, number of eggs/larvae/egg mass, final nematode population in soil and enhanced all plant growth parameters like length, fresh and dry weights of shoot and root in comparison to untreated control. soil application of P. lilacinus together with Pochonia chlamydosporia had increased the shoot length, root length, fresh and dry weight of shoots, fresh and dry weight of roots by 37.9, 64.5, 35.0, 28.2, 48.1 and 53.0%, respectively followed by soil application of P. lilacinus with Trichoderma viride. Number of egg masses/plant, eggs/larvae/egg masses and total larval population in soil and root were recorded to be lowest due to application of P. lilacinus and P. chlamydosporia which had resulted least rate of nematode multiplication (5.10) followed by P. lilacinus with T. viride (7.07 times) and P. lilacinus with P. fluorescens (9.44 times).