Management of Root-Knot Disease on Tomato with Bioformulated Paecilomyces lilacinus and Leaf Extract of Lantana camara

ABSTRACT

Glasshouse experiments were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of application frequency of a bioformulated Paecilomyces lilacinus in combination with five concentration of Lantana camara crude aqueous leaf extract against Meloidogyne incognita race I on tomato. The experiment was a 3x5 factorial laid out in a completely randomized design (CRD) with four replications. Each seedling was inoculated with 5000 eggs of M. incognita. Application of the bionematicide and L. camara leaf extract alone significantly (P≤ 0.05) inhibited root galling and egg production compared with their respective control. However, the severity of root galling and egg mass production was more significantly (P< 0.05) suppressed with the application of P. lilacinus than L. camara leaf extract. Double inoculation with P. lilacinus in combination with 0.80 g mL-1 of the L. camara leaf extract changed the susceptibility of the tomato cultivar with gall index (GI=4.00) to GI=1.50. Application of P. lilacinus twice (at transplanting and two weeks after transplanting) in combination with 0.80g mL-1 of L. camara leaf extract was the most effective treatment in gall and egg mass inhibition, growth enhancement and dry matter accumulation. This environment-friendly approach could be incorporated into integrated root-knot disease management in tomato.