Rhizobacteria associated with organic materials in the control of root-knot nematode in tomato

Biological control agents associated with organic matter is a strategy that can enhance the control of root-knot nematode. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of organic materials and rhizobacteria on Meloidogyne javanica on tomato. We used the randomized block design, in a 4x2+1 factorial scheme, four organic materials (peat, bio-fertilizer, manure and organic compound of pequi hulls), two isolates of rhizobacteria (Bacillus pumilus-1 and B. pumilus-76) and mineral fertilization alone (additional treatment), with eight replications. Tomato seedlings were transplanted to pots containing sandy soil, in which the different organic materials were incorporated. Suspensions of rhizobacteria (OD540 = 0.5) were applied to soil by means of irrigation. The soil in each pot was infested with approximately 3,000 eggs and eventual second stage juveniles (J2) of M. javanica. All organic materials associated with rhizobacteria reduced the number of galls and masses of M. javanica eggs compared to mineral fertilizer. The number of juveniles (J2) was lower in combinations pequi + B. pumilus-1 and B. pumilus-76 and peat + B. pumilus-1. The number of eggs and the reproduction factor were influenced by the interaction between rhizobacteria and organic materials. For the compound of pequi, B. pumilus-1 produced a lower number of eggs per gram of root, while for peat, B. pumilus-76 was the most efficient. For the reproduction factor, only the manure was influenced by the bacterium, and B. pumilus-1 was the one that provided lower reproductive capacity of the nematode.