Histological Interactions of Paecilomyces lilacinus with Root-knot Nematode Meloidogyne incognita and Their Effect on the Growth of Tomato

A glasshouse experiment was conducted to assess the effect of Paecilomyces lilacinus on the reproduction of root-knot nematode and on the growth of tomato. Data on the plant growth, leaf area, yield characteristics, root-knot and egg-mass indices were recorded. The histological interactions studies were also carried out to check the parasitism of root-knot nematode eggs by P. lilacinus. The results indicated that the use of P. lilacinus one week before nematode inoculation caused an increase in growth and yield characteristics of tomato, and also reduced the reproduction of nematode as compared to other treatments. The results of histological studies indicated that P. lilacinus parasitized on the M. incognita eggs through the formation of fungal hyphae and conidiophores and caused the disintegration of the eggshells, egg masses and juveniles of M. incognita.