Biological Control of Root Knot Nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) On Tissue Cultural Banana (Dwarf Carvendish Var. Basarai)

Abstract

Biocontrol powder Phule Trichoderma has been successfully used on a number of horticultural crops. The present investigation was carried out to explore the nematicidal properties of Phule Trichoderma against the root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne spp.) infesting the tissue culture banana (Dwarf Cavendish - var. Basarai). In vitro tests slowed that the various concentrations of Phule Trichoderma prevented nematode egg hatching and also resulted in 100% mortality of nematode juveniles. Tissue culture banana plants were also dipped into various concentrations of Phule Trichoderma before planting out into plastic bags. Plant were inoculated with 250 nematode juveniles and alter ten days, the roots were stained with cotton blue lactophenol and nematodes were counted under a dissecting microscope. The results indicated that the higher the concentration of Phule Trichoderma in banana plants, the lower the ability of the nematode to penetrate the roots. Furthermore, the nematode juveniles that penetrated the treated roots were found dead. This could have resulted from the toxic metabolites produced front Phule Trichoderma. Also, root zone treatment of plants treated with Phule Trichoderma prevented the development of giant cells and roots knots in treated plants while the development of giant cells and root knots were observed in untreated plants exposed to nematode infestation.