EFFECT OF VERTICILLIUM CHLAMYDOSPORIUM AND PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA IN THE CONTROL OF MELOIDOGYNE JAVANICA ON TOMATO

Abstract

Efficacy of Verticillium chlamydosporium as a biological control agent of Meloidogyne javanica, the root-knot nematode, was tested under laboratory and field conditions. An ethyl acetate and hexane extract of V. chlamydosporium was lethal to M. javanica juveniles. V. chlamydosporium parasitized M. javanica eggs whereas the female was unaffected. Neither egg nor M. javanica female were infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. V. chlamydosporium did not colonize the inner root tissue of tomato whereas P. aerugiosa did. V. chlamydosporium and P. aeruginosa applied together had better biocontrol and promoted plant growth compared with either antagonists alone or the untreated controls.