Assessment of Predacity and Efficacy of Arthrobotrys dactyloides for Biological Control of Root Knot Disease of Tomato

Five isolates of Arthrobotrys dactyloides were isolated from different locations of India and their in vitro predacity was tested against Meloidogyne incognita (J2), Tylenchorhynchus brassicae and Hoplolaimus indicus. All isolates of A. dactyloides captured and killed M. incognita and T. brassicae but not H. indicus. The isolates also differed in their predacity of the first two nematode species. The application of mass culture of A. dactyloides in soil infested with 2000 juveniles of M. incognita per kg before planting of tomato seedlings reduced the number of root knots by 5.6–45.6%, of females by 44.7–72.9%, of egg masses by 44.5– 51.3% and of juveniles by 37.9–81.8% and increased the plant growth in a pot experiment. The effect of this fungus as biocontrol agent was enhanced when its mass culture was applied with cow dung manure, which reduced the number of root knots by 61.7– 66.6%, of females by 80.6–94.7%, of egg masses by 80.3–89.6% and of juveniles by 68.1–88.0%.