Bio-Management of root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) in tomato (Lycopersicon esculeutum L.)

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculeutum L.) is one of the most important vegetables grown in India.It is grown for the domestic market under both rains fed and irrigated conditions.Due to the high demand for tomato in the domestic market and for processing, farmers have extensively adopted high yielding varieties and modern technologies like greenhouse production to ensure year round production and increase production.Intensive tomato cultivation in India has resulted in build-up of soil borne diseases, especially root -knot nematodes.Various bio-control agents' viz.Trichoderma virde Paecilomyces lilacinus and Beauvaria bassiana were used for experimental purpose.The result showed that Trichoderma virde was very effective for the management of rootknot namatode followed by Paecilomyces lilacinus and Beauvaria bassiana respectively.Maximum growth parameters {shoot length (58.25cm), root-length (19.75cm), fresh shoot weight (15.37g), fresh root weight (2.37g) and number of fruits (2.25)} were observed in Trichoderma virde followed by P.lilacinus {shoot length (53.00cm), root-length (13.00cm), fresh shoot weight (11.75g), fresh root weight (2.12g) and number of fruits (1.7)} and Beauvaria bassiana {shoot length (49.75cm), root length (8.75cm), fresh shoot weight (9.25g), fresh root weight (1.25g) and number of root-knot was noted in T. viride (17.25),P. lilacinus (18.50) and B. bassiana (24.50) respectively).