Nematicidal Efficacy of a Bioagent Pseudomonas flourescens for the Sustainable Management of Meloidogyne incognita on Cicer arietinum L

A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the nematicidal efficacy of a biocontrol agent, Pseudomonas flourescens for the management of root-knot nematode, Meloidogyneincognita on chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) cv.‘Avarodhi' under glasshouse conditions. All the treatments were found to significantly improve the growth and physiological parameters of chickpea and reduction in pathological parameters as compare to untreated inoculated control. The highest improvement was observed in those plants treated with P. flourescens alone. Concomitant and sequential inoculation of P. flourescens with M.incognita also showed significant improvement in growth parameters of chickpea. Least enhancement in growth parameters was observed in those plants inoculated with nematode alone. It may be due to the nematcidal behaviour of P. flourescens against root-knot nematode, M. incognita. Hence, it may be concluded that P. flourescens as biocontrol agent is better substitute against chemical nematicides for the sustainable management of M. incognita and reduce environmental hazards.