Interaction between plant symbionts, bio-organic waste and antagonistic fungi in the management of Meloidogyne incognita infecting chickpea

Abstract

Experiments were conducted at the University Agricultural Research Farm for the two consecutive years, 2013–2014 and 2014–2015 to study the individual and interactive effects of different plant symbionts (Glomus fasciculatum, Mesorhizobium ciceri), bio-organic waste (Avena sativa straw) and antagonistic fungi, Trichoderma harzianum in all possible combinations for biocontrol of root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita infecting chickpea var. Avrodhi. Biocontrol agents and organic wastes were evaluated for their efficacy in terms of growth characteristics, chlorophyll content, nutrients status, mycorrhization and nematode-related parameters. Combined treatments resulted in higher plant growth, biomass, chlorophyll and nutrient status (N, P and K). Antagonistic fungi, Trichoderma harzianum @ 106 spores plant−1 proved to be most effective of all the plant symbionts (G. fasciculatum, M. ciceri) and organic waste in suppressing the nematode-related parameters in chickpea plants. Of all the treatments, combined inoculation of AM fungus (Glomus fasciculatum @ 800 spores plant−1) + root-nodulating bacteria (Mesorhizobium ciceri @ 1gplant−1) + organic waste (Avena sativa straw @ 10gplant−1) and antagonistic fungi (Trichoderma harzianum @ 106 spores plant−1) was found to be the most efficient in improving the plant growth parameters and decreasing the root-knot development of M. incognita in chickpea plants. Keywords: AM fungi, Chickpea, Interaction, Root-knot nematode, Rhizobium, Trichoderma harzianum