Biological control of root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid and White, 1919) in banana Musa (AAA) var. Robusta

Abstract

A study entitled ‘Biological control of root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid and White, 1919) in banana, Musa (AAA) var. Robusta’ was carried out in the Department of Agricultural Entomology, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara and Banana Research Station, Kannara during April 2010 to June 2011. The objective of the study was to identify an effective biocontrol agent for the management of root-knot nematode in banana. The species of root-knot nematode was identified and confirmed as M. incognita by the perineal pattern of the white females collected from the infested roots of banana plants from BRS, Kannara. Pot culture experiments were conducted to study the effect of different biocontrol agents viz., Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF), Pseudomonas fluorescens, Paecilomyces lilacinus, Bacillus subtilis and Heterorhabditis indica (EPN) alone and in different combinations in comparison with the commonly used chemical nematicide, carbofuran on the management of root-knot nematode in banana. The effect of the treatments on the biometric characters of banana viz., height of the plant, girth of pseudostem and number of leaves were observed at monthly intervals. When the plants were about to form bunches (seven months after planting) these plants were uprooted and the effects of different treatments on various parameters viz., fresh weight of the whole plant, corm, roots, gall formation on roots and the nematode population in soil and roots were recorded. Among the various treatments tried, the combined application of P. fluorescens and P. lilacinus was found to be very effective in enhancing the biometric characters of banana which was on par with that of carbofuran, followed by P. lilacinus and AMF when treated alone, whereas EPN was found to be the least effective one With regard to nematode population in soil and roots, though carbofuran was found to be the best treatment, this was closely followed by P. fluorescens and P. lilacinus treatment. Same trend was noticed in the case of root knot index, gall formation, fresh weight of whole plant, corm and roots. Application of AMF and EPN were observed as the least effective treatments and recorded maximum nematode population both in soil and roots. . Considering the above results, the present study indicated that the combined application of P. fluorescens and P. lilacinus was found to be the most effective substitute for the chemical nematicide carbofuran for the management of root-knot nematode in banana.