Effect of Beauveria bassiana and Isaria tenuipes on the Root-Knot Nematode, Meloidogyne incognita Infesting Tomato and Eggplant

Effects of the two entomopathogenic fungi (Beauveria bassiana and Isaria tenuipes) and one nematicide, Nemasat 500 EC (Fenomiphos) along with controls (no treatment) on the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita were investigated on nematode susceptible tomato (Solanum lycopersicum cv. SC 2121) and eggplant (Solanum melongena cv. Aydin Siyahi). A greenhouse experiment was designed as randomized complete block with two nematode inocula (1000 and 2000 eggs or J2/pot) and two concentrations of each fungus (200 and 400 mu L/pot) and the nematicide (2 and 4 mu l/ pot), replicated 5 times. The study was repeated in two separate trials. There was a significant effect of treatments individually on plant height and green part fresh weights of each host plant. Also, different inocula of nematode levels influenced the root-galling indices significantly in the first trail. However, there were insignificant differences among the nematode levels interactions. The greatest plant heights were found in case of B. bassiana treated pots on tomato and eggplant. Among all treatments, the application rate of 200 mu l B. bassiana for tomato and 400 for eggplant gave the best root knot nematode control results. It was evident that B. bassiana deserves a remarkable consideration to be included into the nematode management tactics and in upcoming studies.