DOSE OPTIMIZATION OF PAECILOMYCES LILACINUS FOR THE CONTROL OF MELOIDOGYNE JAVANICA ON TOMATO
Authors
F. A. Zaki
Abstract
An experiment was undertaken to establish the optimum/effective dose of the bio-control fungus, Paecilomyces lilacinus, against Meloidogyne javanica in tomato. The fungus was cultured on gram seeds using 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 g/kg soil. Four g of gramfungus per kg soil was found to be the optimum dose far effective reduction in the gall index (690/0) and second-stage juveniles (86%) of M. javanica in tomato with an optimum egg mass infection (58%) and egg destruction (66%). Another experiment showed that gram seeds used as substrate far P. lilacinus were independently capable far reducing the nematode population and increasing the growth of the tomato. However, the contribution of the fungus in reducing the nematode population and egg hatch and improving plant growth (height and weight) was significant.