THE INFLUENCE OF ENDOPHYTIC BACTERIA ON Meloidogyne incognita INFECTION AND TOMATO PLANT GROWTH

Plant parasitic nematodes cause significant damage and losses to vegetable crops. Control of plant parasitic nematodes with pesticides is often restricted due to their high toxicity and negative impact on the environment. The need for environmentally safe control strategies has increased interest in developing biological control measures. The objective of this research was to study the effect of selected endophytic bacteria, Pantoea agglomerans MK-29, Cedecea davisae MK-30, Enterobacter spp. MK-42 and Pseudomonas putida MT-19 on early root penetration and gall formation of Meloidogyne incognita on tomato. The results showed that application of bacterial endophytes significantly reduced M. incognita infestation on tomato either as a seed treatment, root dipping or as a soil drench application. The four selected endophytic bacteria also significantly reduced early root penetration of Meloidogyne juveniles into tomato roots up to 56 %, when applied as a root dipping and soil drench. Seed treatment of endophytic bacteria followed by soil drench application apparently gave a higher reduction in the number of galls than the single application. Key words: Gall, seed treatment, root dipping, soil drench