Influence of Meloidogyne incognita on the fungal and bacterial wilt complex of banana

Banana plants inoculated with Meloidogyne incognita and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense or M. incognita and Pseudomonas solanacearum or M. incognita alongwith both fungus and bacterium recorded significant increase in banana wilt. Presence of nematode population 10 days prior to fungus/or and bacterium accelerated the wilt disease development to the maximum. Likewise, the adverse effects were noticed in relation to the nematode population when the fungus/bacterium was present prior to nematode followed by simultaneous inoculations. Presence of all the three pathogens together had more deleterious effects on banana plants than when one or two pathogens were inoculated, indicating a positive interaction between all the three pathogens.