title: Arthrobotrys oligospora-mediated biological control of diseases of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) caused by Meloidogyne incognita and Rhizoctonia solani.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the biocontrol potential of nematode-trapping fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora in protecting tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) against Meloidogyne incognita and Rhizoctonia solani under greenhouse and field conditions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five isolates of the nematode-trapping fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora isolated from different parts of India were tested against Meloidogyne incognita and Rhizoctonia solani in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) plants grown under greenhouse and field conditions. Arthrobotrys oligospora-treated plants showed enhanced growth in terms of shoot and root length and biomass, chlorophyll and total phenolic content and high phenylalanine ammonia lyase activity in comparison with M. incognita- and R. solani-inoculated plants. Biochemical profiling when correlated with disease severity and intensity in A. oligospora-treated and untreated plants indicate that A. oligospora VNS-1 offered significant disease reduction in terms of number of root galls, seedling mortality, lesion length, disease index, better plant growth and fruit yield as compared to M. incognita- and R. solani-challenged plants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The result established that A. oligospora VNS-1 has the potential to provide bioprotection agents against M. incognita and R. solani.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Arthrobotrys oligospora can be a better environment friendly option and can be incorporated in the integrated disease management module of crop protection. Application of A. oligospora not only helps in the control of nematodes but also increases plant growth and enhances nutritional value of tomato fruits. Thus, it proves to be an excellent biocontrol as well as plant growth promoting agent.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mycology and Plant Pathology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India. udaibhu1@gmail.com
authors.forename: U B
authors.initials: UB
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sahu
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sahu
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Renu
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Manna
authors.forename: B K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Sarma
authors.forename: H B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: K P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001203:Ascomycota / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D061046:Biological Control Agents; D007194:India; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000254:growth & development; D018520:Plant Shoots / Q000254:growth & development; D012232:Rhizoctonia; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D014431:Tylenchoidea
chemical_list: D061046:Biological Control Agents