Study on combined application of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi isolates and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria in controlling root-knot nematode Meloidogyne javanica in tomato under greenhouse conditions

Efficiency of the application of two species from arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, Glomus mosseae and G. versiforme, and four plant growth promoting Rhizobacteria Pseudomonas fluorescens, Pseudomonas striata, Bacillus subtilis and Paenibacillus polymyxa on the control of root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne javanica, was studied. Based on our results arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria stimulated the growth of tomato plants and also reduced the severity of the disease caused by M. javanica. Combined application of the tested biocontrol agents was more effective than their single usage. P. polymyxa was more efficient in controlling M. javanica than other implemented biological agents so that this bacterium could decrease egg number in the egg mass of M. javanica as 52% compared with nematode alone control treatment. Likewise, the combined application of G. mosseae and P. polymyxa had the best effect to suppress nematode, so that in this treatment J2 population decreased as 59% compared with nematode alone treatment.