Host-parasite relationship of okra and single and combined infection of Meloidogyne javanica and Fusarium oxysporum

Abstract

An outdoor pot and a field experiments were conducted to investigate the host-parasite relationships of okra and Meloidogyne javanica in the presence and absence of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. vasinfectum. Inoculation with the two pathogens, singly and in combination, significantly reduced all growth and yield components of okra. Single inoculation with M. javanica reduced plant growth more than inoculation with F. oxysporum alone. Reductions in plant growth caused by combined inoculation of the two pathogens were greater than those of single inoculation with either pathogen. In combined inoculations, damage was more severe when the inoculation of the nematode preceded that of the fungus in both the pot and field trials. Severity of root galling and nematode population in soil and roots were greater when the nematode was inoculated singly. Mixed infection reduced the severity of M. javanica in pot and field experiments, especially when F. oxysporum was inoculated prior to the nematode in the pot experiment.