Bio-management of Meloidogyne Incognita on Polianthes Tuberosa Using Glomus Mossea Eandpochonia Chlamydosporia as Bulb Dressing in Combination with Neem Cake

Studies were conducted to evaluate the effect of bulb treatment/dressing with a combination of nematode antagonist, Pochonia chlamydosporia (5*10 chlamydospores/bulb) and plant growth promoting fungus, Glomus mosseae (2*10 spores/bulb), along with neem cake (500 kg/ha) application in order to rationalize the use of these bioagents in tuberose cv. Pearl Double against root-knot nematodes. An untreated and carbofuran (2.5 kg a.i./ha) checks were maintained for comparison. Plots that received a combination of neem cake amendment + treated bulbs (P. chlamydosporia and G. mosseae) recorded maximum percent of healthy roots, flower spikes/m2, spike length and number of florets/spike and least number of root galls and nematode populations in soil and the root. This was followed by the plots that received treatments, G. mosseae + neem cake, P. chlamydosporia and carbofuran. Mycorrhzal root colonization and parasitization of egg masses by P. chlamydosporia aided in establishing effective antagonism against M. incognita in tuberose. The dosages required besides the cost involved were also minimized by bulb treatment with the combination of spores of antagonistic and growth promoting fungi (P. chlamydosporia and G. mosseae) and neem cake as soil amendment.