Effect of fungal filtrates of Aspergillus niger and Rhizoctonia solani on penetra non and development of root-knot nematodes and the plant growth of tomato var. marglobe

Root dip treatment with c;ulture filtrates of Aspergillus niger and Rhizoctonia solani moderately improved plant growth, reduced larval penetration, suppressed nematode reproduction and gall formation on tomato roots. Culture filtrate of A. niger was distinctly more effective than R. solani. This may be attributed to the differences in number and nature of metabolites produced by the different fungi. Root dip treatment of tomato seedlings with A. niger filtrate for 30 minutes reduced the final larval population in soil to 1/2 of the initial population. This explains the toxic effect of the fungal metabolite.