EFFECTS OF A WILD-TYPE STRAIN AND A MUTANT STRAIN OF THE FUNGUS VERTICILLIUM-LECANII ON MELOIDOGYNE-INCOGNITA POPULATIONS IN GREENHOUSE STUDIES

A wild type strain of Verticillium lecanii and a UV-induced mutant wer e tested for ability to reduce populations of Meloidogyne incognita on tomato in the greenhouse. The two fungus strains were incorporated in to a bran-alginate formulation and applied near the plant roots at thr ee rates : 0.0009 % dry weight fungus/weight soil, 0.002 % w/w, and 0. 02 % w/w. The mutant strain was also tested at 0.006 % why. Egg and ju venile numbers were counted and combined. Significant population decre ases of 53 % and 66 % were observed in two of six experiments in which the mutant was applied at 0.002 %-0.006 % w/w. However, when results of all experiments were combined, neither the mutant nor the wild type strain significantly suppressed root knot nematode populations.