Effect of Bio-Control Agent, Paecilomyces lilacinus Along with Neemcake and Botanicals for the Management of Meloidogyne incognita on Banana Sundraraju P., Kiruthika P. Crop Protection Laboratory, National Research Centre for Banana (ICAR), Thayanur Post, Tiruchirapalli-620 102, Tamil Nadu, India, E-mail: sundar_nrcb@yahoo.com. Abstract Effect of bio-control agent (Paecilomyces lilacinus), neem cake and botanicals (Tagetes erecta and Solanum torvum) against root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita in cv. Robusta was tested by applying individually and in combinations under pot condition. Results revealed that all the treatments were effective in increasing the plant growth with significant reduction in nematode populations. Among the treatments, the combined application of P. lilacinus + neem cake and P. lilacinus +T. erecta (flower extracts) resulted in maximum increase of plant height (5.3 cm each), number of leaves (26.6 & 25.0), pseudostem girth (11.7cm &11.0 cm), root length (36 & 26), number of healthy roots (42 & 43), root weight (45 each), root gall index (1) and nematode population from soils (30 & 50/250cc) and roots (110 & 115/5g) compared to the maximum root gall index (5) with the nematode population from soil (1020/250 cc) and roots (1760/5g) in nematode alone- inoculated control plants. The estimation of proteins, phenol, peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase detected from roots and leaves showed an increase in total orth-dihydroxy phenols and enhanced activities of polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase on inoculation of M. incognita. Top Keywords Robusta, Meloidogyne incognita, Paecilomyces lilacinus,Tagetes erecta, Solanum torvum, neem cake, protein, phenol, peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase. Top |