Interactive Association of fungus and root-knot nematodes on Sarnalli crop (Ipomea Reptans)
Abstract
This short communication reports on the interactive association between root-knot nematodes and fungi infecting the Sarnalli crop (Ipomea reptans), a popular leafy vegetable rich in minerals and vitamins, cultivated in the trans-Yamuna river belt of Delhi, India. Soil and root samples collected from Sarnalli fields revealed heavy galling on roots, with the causative nematode identified as Meloidogyne incognita based on perineal pattern analysis, showing an average population of 3.7 second-stage juveniles (J2) per gram of soil. Concurrent fungal isolation from the rhizosphere using the soil dilution plate method identified several associated species, including Chaetomium indicum, Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus niger, Rhizoctonia solani, Rhizopus spp., and Penicillium citrinum. Additionally, Penicillium chrysogenum and Graphium spp. were isolated from the egg masses of the nematode. This study constitutes the first record of the interactive association of M. incognita with fungi on Sarnalli crop, highlighting the need for further extensive research to understand the individual and combined effects of these organisms on plant growth and yield.
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Introduction
Plants develop close association with many soil microorganisms especially with fungi and nematodes under field conditions that are either beneficial or harmful to plants. (Goswami et al., 2000) The fungus nematode interactions are numerous, varied and provide open field for significant research. (Goswami and Mittal, 2002) Fungus is an essential component of the interacting system of fungus—nematode complex disease and plays an important role in the disease etiology. Since the publication of Atkinson’s report (1892) that Fusarium wilt of cotton was more severe in the presence of root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne spp.) than in its absence, a large volume of data has been accumulated to date which firmly establishes the involvement of plant-parasitic nematodes in interactions with fungal plant pathogens on various crop plants. (Mittal and Goswami, 2002) In the present paper an attempt has been made to study the fungi associated with root - knot nematodes from trans-Yamuna river belt of Delhi infecting Sarnalli crop (Ipomea reptans).
