EFFECT OF ENTOMOPATHOGENIC NEMATODE, Steinernema glaseri STEINER AND ITS SYMBIOTIC BACTERIA, Xenorhabdus poinarii (AKHURST) AKHURST AND BOEMARE, AGAINST ROOT KNOT NEMATODE, Meloidogyne incognita (KOFOID AND WHITE) CHITWOOD IN TOMATO

摘要

An experiment was conducted to study the interaction of entomopathogenic nematode, Steinemema glaseri Steiner and its symbiotic bacteria Xenorhabduspoinarii (Akhurst) Akhurst and Boemare against root knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid and White) Chitwood under in vitro and pot culture conditions in tomato cv. CO 3. The bacterial suspension was prepared at the concentrations of 5,10,15 and 20 per cent and tested against M incognita under in vitro. Minimum egg hatching was recorded in 20 percent concentration of X. poinarii (22.25%) when compared to other concentrations at an exposure period of 72 h under in vitro studies. This 20 per cent concentration was taken to study its efficacy in pot culture experiment under glass house conditions in tomato. In pot culture experiment, significant increase in plant growth parameters and reduction in root knot nematode population was observed in plants combinedly inoculated with S. glaseri (2000 Infective Juveniles (IX)) and X. poinarii (20% concentration) followed byX. poinarii alone (20% concentration). S. glaseri and X. poinarii combinedly treated plants showed reduced M. incognita infestation by 44.18 per cent in roots and 56.34 per cent in soil over control.