EFFECT OF SEED TREATMENT WITH CERTAIN BACTERIA AND FUNGI ON THE GROWTH OF MUNGBEAN AND REPRODUCTION OF MELOIDOGYNE INCOGNITA

Abstract

The effect of Paecilomyces lilacinus, Verticillium chlamydosporium, Cylindrocarpon destructans, Arthrobotrys oligospora, Bacillus subtilis, Beijerinkia indica, Azotobacter chroococcum and Azospirillum lipoferum on the growth of mungbean, root nodulation and root-knot disease caused by Meloidogyne incognita was tested in field microplots. Application of B. indica or A. lipoferum significantly increased the shoot dry weight of uninoculated plants. The nematode caused significant decreases in plant growth and root nodulation. Application of bacterial and fungal bioagents controlled nematode pathogenesis leading to a decrease of 4.8-26.5, 7.2-30.1 and 11.8-27.6% in the number of galls, egg masses/root system and J2/kg soil, being greatest in the treatments with A. lipoferum or Azotobacter chroococcum. Plant growth and the biomass of nematode inoculated plants were significantly increased with all the bacteria tested, being greatest with B. subtilis. Bacterial and fungal bioagents synergised root nodulation, leading to 21 57.8% increase in the number of functional nodules on nematode infected roots.