Indian Journal of Nematology

The field experiments were carried out during summer, 2010 to 2015 to know the efficacy of bio agents viz., Trichoderma viride, Paecilomyces lilacinus and Pochonia chlamydosporia against root knot nematode, Meloidogyne graminicola. The bioagents were applied as seed treatment @10g/kg seed and in one treatment paddy seeds were treated with carbosulfan @ 3% w/w at the time of sowing. All the three bioagents were again applied in the field @ 2.5 kg/ha after 45 days of sowing of paddy seeds in the treatments where respective bioagents were applied earlier as seed treatment. In case of the treatment with Carbosulfan @ 3% w/w, Carbofuran was applied @ 1 kg a.i./ha after 45 DAS. The data of all the years were pooled. The results revealed that all the treatments were significantly superior to untreated control with respect to nematode population, RKI, yield and ICBR. Treatment combination of seed treatment with Carbosulfan followed by soil application of Carbofuran at 45 DAS was most effective in reducing the nematode population, galls per plant and increasing yield (22.72 q/ha) except T. viride @10g/kg seed + soil application @2.5 kg/ha at 45 DAS which was at par in respect of yield. Among the bioagents, T. viride @10g/kg seed as seed treatment and soil application @ 2.5 kg/ha at 45 DAS was found to be most effective in reducing nematode population, galls per plant and increasing yield (22.29 q/ha). The ICBR in T. viride @10g/kg seed as seed treatment + soil application @2.5 kg/ha at 45 DAS (1: 4.96) was found to be more as compared to Carbosulfan as seed treatment followed by soil application of Carbofuran at 45 DAS (1: 1.62). This was because of the lower cost of the bioagents as compared to the chemicals.