National Research Centre for Banana (ICAR), Vayalur Road, Tiruchirappalli - 620 017, India.
Realising that chemical nematicides are too toxic and hazardous to use in nematode control by ordinary farmers, the researchers recognized the natural or biological control as safer and also best alternative for nematode management. Large groups of bioagents are isolated and identified as potential biomolecules in reducing the plant parasitic nematode menace. Biomolecules such as plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (Pseudompnas spp. and Bacillus spp.), obligate parasite (Pasteuria spp.), opportunistic fungi (Paecilomyces lilacinus, Verticillium spp. and Trichoderma spp.), predaceous fungi (Arthrobobys spp.) and Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhizae fungi have been recognized as most important candidates for reducing different plant parasitic nematode in several crops under varied agroclimatic conditions. Their effectiveness, mode of action against plant parasitic nematodes and characteristics of a successfull biomolecule is reviewed.
