INVITRO EVALUATION OF INDIGENOUS BIOAGENTS ON EGG HATCHING AND LARVAL MORTALITY OF ROOT-KNOT NEMATODE (MELOIDOGYNE INCOGNITA) INFECTING MULBERRY

In vitro studies were conducted to evaluate the efficacy culture filtrate of different concentrations (25, 50, 75 and 100%) of the indigenous bioagents viz. Trichoderma viride. Pseudomonas fluorescens, Trichoderma harzianum, Aspergillus niger, Pochonia chlamydosporia and Fusarium ax-ysporum on egg hatching and larval mortality of root knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita at three exposure periods. All the indigenous bioagents had significantly suppressed egg hatching and viability of freshly hatched second stage juveniles of the nematode. However, at all concentrations of the indigenous bioagents tested, T viride was superior over other five bioagents tested in inhibition of egg hatching (61-68.74 per cent) and larval mortality (30-75.33 per cent).