Biological limitators in the control of Meloidogyne incognita and Verticillium dahliae on eggplant

Abstract

The effect of some biological control agents against combined attacks of the plant pathogen Verticillium dahliae and the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita on eggplant was verified in an open field trial. Treatments were: a) Clonostachys rosea with fungicidal activity (F) (applied at transplant and 15 days later at 2L/ha) + Paecilomyces lilacinus isolate 251 with nematicidal activity (N) [applied in pre (1 week) and post-transplant (40 days later) at 4 Kg/ha] + Aphanocladium album isolate MX-95 (N activity) (applied 1 week before transplant and 15 days later at 0,4 L/plant as conidial suspension at 1,2 x 107 CFU/mL); b) Clonostachys rosea (applied as before indicated) + Paecilomyces lilacinus isolate 251 (as before indicated) + chestnut tannins (applied at transplant at 3,2 g/plant); c) A. album MX-95 (applied as above mentioned); d) chestnut tannins (applied as in b treatment); e) A. album MX-95 + chestnut tannins (applied as in a and b treatments) and f) Azoxystrobyn (F activity) at 20 L/ha + Fenamiphos EC (N) at 62.5 L/ha, both applied at transplant. Untreated plots were used as control. All treatments had a positive influence on yield and were effective for a significant reduction of severity of symptoms of Verticillium wilt, vascular discoloration and M. incognita attacks in comparison to the untreated control. On the base of our results it is reasonably possible consider the use of biological control agents in Verticillium wilt and plant parasitic nematode sustainable control, although further investigation are suggested in different areas, crops, periods and types of soil.