Influence of oil cakes in combination with inorganic fertilizers on growth and sporulation of Paecilomyces lilacinus and its antagonism on Meloidogyne incognita infecting tomato

Abstract

The supplementation of castor and neem oil cakes with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the form of inorganic fertilizers, had an additive effect on the mycelial growth and sporulation of Paecilomyces lilacinus, and enhanced its mycelial mat weight, duration of mycelial growth and sporulation in in vitro conditions. Of the two oil cakes, neem was the better substrate for P. lilacinus in terms of amount and duration of mycelial growth and sporulation. Further, application of inorganic fertilizers along with oil cakes was beneficial to the endozoic antagonistic fungus (P. lilacinus) , plant host (tomato) and also enhanced the antagonistic potential of P. lilacinus against root-knot nematode CMeloidogyne incognita) under nursery conditions.