Beneficial effects of Enterobacter cloacae and Pseudomonas mendocina for biocontrol of Meloidogyne incognita with the endospore-forming bacterium Pasteuria penetrans

Two rhizosphere bacteria, Enterobacter cloacae and Pseudomonas mendocina, w ere isolated from the rhizosphere of tomato plants growing in a soil heavil y infested with both root-knot nematodes and the parasitoid endospore-formi ng bacterium Pasteuria penetrans. Bacteria E. cloacae and P. mendocina stim ulated plant growth, inhibited the reproduction of the root knot nematode M eloidogyne incognita, and increased the attachment of the endospores of P. penetrans on the nematodes in vitro. E. cloacae significantly increased the reproduction of P. penetrans in plant roots. Consequently, the introductio n of such bacteria in soils, or cultural practices aimed to increase the ac tivity of native strains of these bacteria, could greatly contribute to the efficiency of nematode biocontrol with P. penetrans.