Effect of different doses of Paecilomyces lilacinus isolate 6 on Meloidogyne incognita infecting tomato*

The effect of different inoculum levels of Paecilomyces lilacinus, isolate 6, on Meloidogyne incognita was measured and optimum dosage for inoculation in soil was determined. All the treatments receiving P. lilacinus showed singificantly higher plant growth parameters than nematode alone. The gall development and final nematode population of M. incognita decreased with the increasing doses of fungus. Considering the above parameters and analysing data statistically, 8 g (57.92 x 10⁸ spores) fungus infested rice per kg soil was considered to be optimum for suppression of M. incognita in tomato. The rice kernel, as a substrate medium for culturing P. lilacimus (isolate 6), had no significant role in nematode control.