Unleashing the synergistic interaction between Meloidogyne enterolobii and Fusarium sp. in guava wilt complex disease

Guava cultivation is significantly affected by various diseases, with wilt disease being one of the most prominent. This disease results from a complex interaction between the phytophagous nematode Meloidogyne enterolobii and the fungus Fusarium sp. To study the menace (on per cent wilt incidence and plant growth parameters) caused by their interaction in aggravating the wilt, the pathogens were inoculated individually and as well as in different combinations to the established air layered seedlings of guava under greenhouse conditions. The experimental study revealed the synergistic interaction among the pathogens, as the study showed in sequential inoculation of nematode 14 days prior to fungus inoculation exacerbated the disease severity and significantly reduced the plant growth parameters. This was followed by combined application of pathogens at the same time which was on par with the results from sequential inoculation of nematode seven days prior to fungus; this signifies the role of phytophagous nematodes in paving the way for susceptibility of crop for secondary infection.