Ramavath Abhi, M.K. Sharma, Manisha, B.L. Baheti, Deepak Kumar, R. N. Kumhar, C.P. Nama and Parwati
Abstract
A study was conducted in two consecutive years, 2021 and 2022, in a cage house condition in soil infested with root-knot nematodes (2 J2/g soil), to evaluate the induction of the defense enzyme phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) by various fungal bio-agents against Meloidogyne incognita infecting tomato. Trichoderma harzianum, T. viride, Purpureocillium lilacinum, Metarhizium anisopliae, and Beauveria bassiana were the bioagents used as soil application (SA) and seedling treatment (ST). Two control treatments were also maintained for comparison: M. incognita alone and un-inoculated and untreated control. Each treatment was replicated four times. When bioagents were applied, increased the level of PAL in tomato leaf, shoot and root sample. Application of T. harzianum was shown to be the most effective treatment among all of them to increase PAL activity at 15, 30, and 45 days after inoculation (DAI) followed by T. viride and P. lilacinum.