The use of predatory fungi of the genus Arthrobotrys isolated from soil in the farmlands of Southern Kazakhstan to control nematode infections in tomato plants

Abstract

In Kazakhstan, parasitic nematodes affect up to 35-40% of the harvest of sugar beets, potatoes and tomatoes. Until recently, сhemical nematicides were used to control nematode numbers but posed risks of toxicity to humans and animals, and their effectiveness decreased due to resistant nematodes. There is an urgent need to create alternative non-toxic plant protection products. Arthrobotrys oligospora is one of the most studied hyphomycete fungi that is used to create biological products against nematodes. In a laboratory experiment in a pot culture, the activity of Arthrobotrys predatory fungi against parasitic nematodes of the genus Meloidogyne was assessed when growing tomatoes of the «F1 Russian size» variety in a vermiculite/soil mixture. Physiological indicators of plant growth (stem length, number of leaves, stem and root weight) were used for analysis. To ensure the reliability of the obtained results of the activity of predatory fungi, the number of nematodes and the presence of colonies of native predatory fungi in the soil samples of the used variants post-experiment were taken into account. The length of stems, the number of leaves and the weight of roots and stems during the growing season changed within the experimental error. The most significant result was estimated by the number of live nematodes post-experiment. It was shown that when preparations of predatory fungi were added to the soil, the number of nematodes significantly decreased in all variants. Thus, the nematophagous activity of local predatory fungi of the genus Arthrobotrys in tomato cultivation has been proven.