In vitro assessment of pathogenicity and culture filtrates of fungi against Heterodera schachtii

The pathogenicity of four isolates of three fungal species against females and cysts of Heterodera schachtii on water agar and the effects of fungal filtrates on motility of secondstage juveniles were examined. Rates of egg colonization by the fungi were measured after 3 weeks at 20 °C on 0.8% water agar. Fungi penetrated both females and cysts of which 60, 36, 21 and 17% of the eggs were infected by the two isolates of Paecilomyces lilacinus (PL 8.1 & PL 25.4), Cylindrocarpon destructans var. crassum and Chaetomium murorum, respectively. Filtrates of the fungi reduced mobility of the nematode J2 after 24 and 48 h incubation periods. Isolate 8.1 of P. lilacinus paralyzed 100% of the J2 after both 24 and 48 h incubation periods. After 48 h of incubation the extracts of isolate 25.4 of P. lilacinus, C. destructans var. crassum and C. murorum paralyzed 25, 22 and 9% of the J2, respectively.