INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT OF MELOIDOGYNE INCOGNITA ON TUBEROSE USING PAECILOMYCES LILACINUS IN COMBINATION WITH PLANT EXTRACTS

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted for the management of the root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita infecting tuberose, Polianthes tuberose, by integrating the use of the antagonistic fungus, Paecilomyces lilacinus, with leaf extracts of castor and neem as bulb treatments and soil drenches. Combination of P. lilacinus (at 2x10[sup4] spores/ml) with 5% neem leaf extract resulted in significantly higher fresh plant weight and flower yield. Root gall index was least under P. lilacinus plus neem leaf extract (5%) combination followed by P. lilacinus plus castor leaf extract (5%) treatment. Although the per cent egg and egg mass parasitization by P. lilacinus was higher when integrated with the leaf extracts, neem leaf extract improved the parasitization by P. lilacinus more than that with castor leaf extract.