Department of Zoology, Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan-731 235, West Bengal.
Ethanolic extract of Meloidogyne incognita females, when applied as foliar spray at the rate of 5.7 mg/plant in aqueous suspension on tomato plants cv. Pusa Ruby, inoculated with M. incognita larvae, reduced nematode infestation and promoted plant growth. The same extract, when applied at 1.3 mg/culture tube to root callus of tomato grown on MS media supplemented with NAA (lmg/l) and BAP (0.5 mg/l) and inoculated with M. incognita larvae, reduced nematode infestation of callus and improved callus growth. The nematode extract (NE) is thought to induce systemic resistance in tomato.
Meloidogyne incognita tomato, nematode extract, root callus