AbstractThe root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne enterolobii, is a major disease of guava, Psidium guajava, in Brazil and other countries. Egg-pathogenic fungi are considered potential biological control agents of root-knot nematodes and are associated with suppression of Meloidogyne spp. Glasshouse experiments were conducted in order to evaluate the effect of the fungi Paecilomyces lilacinus and Pochonia chlamydosporia on a population of M. enterolobii growing on guava plants. Guava seedlings of about 15-20 cm growing in plastic bags were inoculated with 10 000 eggs of M. enterolobii plant−1. Two months later, three isolates of P. lilacinus and one isolate of P. chlamydosporia were inoculated in the infested plants. The effect of the treatments was evaluated 6 months later. Although plant infection by nematodes was not attenuated, the number of eggs (g roots)−1 fell significantly. The number of egg masses infected with the fungi was inversely correlated with the number of eggs found in the roots. The most effective result (61.5% of control) was obtained with the isolate CG1003 of P. chlamydoporia, which was originally isolated from eggs of M. enterolobii in Brazil, followed by P. lilacinus (CG959 and CG1038) with about 40% of control. These fungi showed the ability to colonise healthy guava roots in glasshouse experiments. These results suggest that P. chlamydosporia can be selected as a potential biological control agent to be employed with other strategies in integrated management to control M. enterolobii on guava.
Draft Genome Sequence of the Mycoparasitic Oomycete Pythium periplocum Strain CBS 532.74
