Investigation on Management of Root-Knot Nematode, Meloidogyne incognita through Soil Application of Bio-control Agents in Field Pea

The pot experiment was conducted at AICRP on vegetables, Pusa farm, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University during 2020-21. The bio-control agents viz. Glomus fasciculatum (85-90 spores/g), Trichoderma harzianum 1.0% WP (2×106 cfu/g), Pseudomonas fluorescens 1.0% WP (1×108 cfu/g), Purpureocillium lilacinum 1.0% WP (2×106 cfu/g) either singly or in combined application shown significant improvement in plant growth and development and in declining nematode population. The combined application of P. fluorescens 1.0% WP (1×108 cfug-1) and P. lilacinum 1.0% WP (2×106 cfug-1) when applied 10g per pot each is efficient in improving plant growth and on other hand, plants treated with Cartap hydrochloride 4G (5g per pot) had the lowest nematode population, galls per plant, and Reproduction factor (Rf). P. lilacinum 1.0% WP (2×106 cfu/g) demonstrated promising effects in plants when just single bio-control agent i.e., 10g/pot was used. This study discovered that utilizing a mixture of bio-control agents was more effective than using bio-control agents alone in reducing the population of M. incognita. According to the study, bio-control agents had the same effects as Cartap hydrochloride 4G. As a result, bio-control agents can be used instead of nematicides.