Bio-management of Meloidogyne incognita and Erwinia carotovora in carrot (Daucus carota L.) using Pseudomonas putida and Paecilomyces lilacinus

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to test the effects of two biocontrol agents, Pseudomonas putida and Paecilomyces lilacinus, on the control of Meloidogyne incognita and Erwinia carotovora in carrot (Daucus carota). Pseudomonas putida and P. lilacinus formulations were enriched in neem cake and evaluated under field conditions, individually and in combination, as seed treatment or as substrate treatment. Twenty grams of this formulation was used for the seed (one kg) treatment and five kg for the enrichment of neem cake (200 kg), which was applied to the beds at the rate of 20 g/m2 as a substrate treatment before sowing. Seed treatment with both bio-agents and application of neem cake enriched with P. putida and P. lilacinus proved to be the best of all the treatments, leading to a reduction in the M. incognita (J2) population (in roots by 69% and soil by 47.6%) and E. carotovora by 66%, with a significant increase (27.8%) in the yield of carrot. Pseudomonas putida and P. lilacinus co-existed without affecting root colonization by either.