Application of bio-inoculants for the management of root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita infecting banana

Experiments were conducted in a farmer's field, located at Dhanuvachapuram area of Trivandrum district of Kerala, for two consecutive years, 2015–2016 and 2016–2017, for the management of Meloidogyne incognita. The experiments consisted of eight treatments, including untreated check. These treatments were: T1-Pseudomonas fluorescens sucker/rhizome treatment @ 5g/sucker, T2-Trichoderma viride sucker treatment @ 5g/sucker, T3-P. fluorescens pit application @ 10g/plant at planting, T4-T. viride pit application @ 10g/plant at planting, T5-P. fluorescens sucker treatment + pit application (45 DAP), T6-T. viride sucker treatment + pit application (45 DAP), T7-Paring + hot water treatment + neem cake 1kg a.i/ha; and T8-untreated control. P. fluorescens sucker treatment + pit application (45 DAP) was the most effective treatment in increasing the yield of banana (27.2 t/ha) and reducing the population of nematodes in soil (166.7 nematodes/200 cc soil) and roots (63.8 nematodes/5g roots). This was followed by the application of P. fluorescens sucker/rhizome treatment @ 5g/sucker. P. fluorescens sucker treatment + pit application (45 DAP) was statistically superior treatment in reducing the number of galls/5g roots (30.3galls/5g roots), as compared to control (0.53galls/5g roots).