Management of root knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita infecting sugar beet as affected by certain bacterial and fungal suspensions

Abstract: Three experiments were conducted in a greenhouse to study the nematicidal activity of Bacillus subtilis, B. megaterium, B. pumilus and Pseudomonas fluorescens, Trichoderma harzianum, T.viride and T. vierns against nematode parameters of Meloidogyne incognita infecting sugar beet. Experiment I was conducted to test B. subtilis, B. megaterium, B. pumilus and P. fluorescens, T. harzianum , T. viride and T. vierns as single treatment. T. vierns highly reduced the galls number by 74%, followed by B. pumilus (73%), T. viride (73%), B. subtilis and T. harzianum (71%), B. megaterium (71%) and P. fluorescens (60%). Also, T. vierns caused the highest percentages reduction of egg-masses numbers (80%), followed by B. pumilus, T. harzianum and T. viride that caused 74%, B. megaterium (68%), B. subtilis (65%) and P. fluorescens (61%), respectively. Experiment II was conducted to test T. vierns and B. pumilus as single treatment at doses of 10, 20 and 30ml/pot. Results showed that treatments significantly reduced the number of J2, galls and egg-masses by 79 – 95; 61 – 78 and 64 - 87%, compared to 97; 80 and 88% with Micronema®, respectively. The treatments ,also, by T. vierns and B. pumilus enhanced the length of shoot, fresh and dry weight of shoot, tuber weight and TSS% content of sugar beet. Experiment III revealed that T. vierns and B. pumilus when applied at both times of treatments reduced the numbers of J2; galls and egg-masses by 86 - 96; 68-81 and 69 - 89%, compared to 97; 79 and 87% with Micronema®, respectively. T. vierns when applied at one and/or second times was effective in enhancing the growth parameters viz., length of shoot, fresh and dry weight of shoot and root (Tuber) weight as well as TSS% content than B. pumilus