PATHOGENICITY AND CONTROL OF MELOIDOGYNE INCOGNITA ON EGGPLANT

Abstract

The eggplant cvs Black Beauty, Black Long and White Long were highly susceptible to Meloidogyne incognita in pot experiments in glass house at 28±1 °C. Soaking of eggplant seeds and foliar spray of seedlings with 50 and/or 100 µg/ml water solutions of thiamine, the amino acids cystin, tryptophan, tyrosin, aspartic acid and phenylalanine, or the plant growth regulators gibberellic acid, indolbutyric acid and indol-3-acetic acid significantly reduced the numbers of galls and egg masses of M. incognita on roots of cv. Black Beauty. The higher concentration of the tested substances was more effective in reducing the nematode infestation. Also, treatment with the fungi Paecilomyces lilacinus and Hirsutella rhossiliensis resulted in 69%, and 47% reduction in numbers of galls and egg masses of M. incognita on roots of cv. Black Beauty.