Effect of soil type, organic manure and inorganic fertilizers on spore attachment of Pasteuria penetrans to juveniles (J2) of Meloidogyne incognita

A pre-requisilt for Pasteuria penetrans strain to be effective in controlling root-knot nematode is its spore attachment to the juveniles (J2) of the nematode. Highest spore attachment was found in the desert soil containing high sand (88.1) percentage, followed by laterite, red, black and allluvial soil. In respect of organic matter, there was a linear relation between the spore attachment and organic matter content in soil. The effect of fertilizers i.e. nitrogen, phosphorus and potash and their different doses showed that spore attachment decreased with the increase in fertilizer's dose. Further, among the fertilizers, this effect was more marked in nitrogen as compared to phosphorus and potash.