SUPPRESSION OF THE ROOT-KNOT NEMATODE MELOIDOGYNE-JAVANICA BY ALGINATE PELLETS CONTAINING THE NEMATOPHAGOUS FUNGI HIRSUTELLA-RHOSSILIENSIS,MONACROSPORIUM-CIONOPAGUM AND M-ELLIPSOSPORUM

The endoparasitic fungus Hirsutella rhossiliensis and the nematode-tra pping fungi Monacrosporium cionopagum and M. ellipsosporum were formul ated as hyphae in alginate pellets. In a soil microcosm experiment dri ed pellets of all three fungi decreased the invasion of cabbage seedli ngs by the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne javanica when juvenile nemat odes were placed 2 cm from roots; M. cionopagum was more effective tha n the other two fungi, reducing nematode invasion by 40-95% with 0.24- 0.94 pellets cm(-3) of soil. In a field microplot experiment, in which neither H. rhossiliensis nor M. ellipsosporum suppressed nematodes, 0 .5 pellets of M. cionopagum cm(-3) of soil suppressed M. javanica inva sion of tomato seedlings by 73%. In a second microplot experiment with only M. cionopagum, again at 0.5 pellets cm(-3) of soil, the fungus s uppressed the invasion of tomato seedlings whether the pellets were ad ded 0, 5 or 14 days before planting; the population density of M. cion opagum increased to nearly 3000 propagules g(-1) of soil by day 8 and then declined to less than 300 by day 22. Enchytraeid worms were obser ved in and around damaged and apparently destroyed pellets in both mic roplot experiments. Whether enchytraeids consumed the fungi or otherwi se affected biological control requires additional research.