Dababat, A. A. and R. A. Sikora. 2007. Importance of application time and inoculum density of Fusarium oxysporum 162 for biological control of Meloidogyne incognita on tomato. Nematropica 37:267-275. The mutualistic endophyte Fusarium oxysporum 162 (FO162) was investigated for its activity against the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita. This fungal strain has been shown to reduce M. incognita damage by inhibiting juvenile penetration and development when present in the root system of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) plants. The results showed that inoculation of tomato plants with FO162 at sowing in seedling trays led to significant reduction in both numbers of galls and egg masses compared to the non-treated controls. Dual inoculation of the fungus at sowing and transplanting resulted in slightly higher levels of biocontrol but was not significantly different when compared with single inoculation at sowing. Strain FO162 applied at 10 4 or 10 5 cfu/g soil at sowing led to a significant reduction in nematode penetration after transplanting. Treatment only at transplanting was not as consistent, causing a significant reduction in nematode penetration in only one of the two trials. Inoculating the seedlings with 10 5 cfu/g seedling substrate at sowing and with an additional 10 4 cfu/g soil at transplanting time gave the best nematode control in both trials in the second experiment.
