Investigating the effect of Glomus mosseae, Bacillus subtilis and Trichoderma harzianum on plant growth and controlling Meloidogyne javanica in tomato

In this study, the effect of individual and combined application of Glomus mosseae, Bacillus subtilis and Trichoderma harzianum on promoting tomato growth, as well as control of root knot nematode (Meloidogyne javanica) was evaluated. To accomplish this goal, an experiment was performed in a completely randomized design pattern with 16 treatments and 4 replications under greenhouse conditions. To investigate the effect of these factors on the growth of tomato plants, the plant growth parameters (plant height, root length, fresh and dry weight of roots and aerial parts) and to evaluate the effect of these factors on controlling M. javanica several growth and development indices (number of galls and egg masses per plant, number of eggs within each egg mass, number of second juveniles (J2s) and reproductive factor (RF) were measured). The results showed that the effect of applied biological agents on enhancing tomato growth parameters in the presence or absence of the nematode was significant. Also, combined application of these agents in most of cases had a better effect than their single use. Regarding the role of the three microorganisms in reducing nematode damage, individual or combined application of them had significant difference with control at 1% probability level, so that combined application of the three biocontrol agents decreased of J2s in the soil by 36%.