Pre-inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi suppresses root knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) on cucumber (Cucumis sativus)

A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the influence of pre-inoculation of cucumber plants with each of the three arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi Glomus intraradices, Glomus mosseae, and Glomus versiforme on reproduction of the root knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita. All three AM fungi tested significantly reduced the root galling index, which is the percentage of total roots forming galls. Numbers of galls per root system were significantly reduced only in the G. intraradices+M. incognita treatment. The number of eggs per root system was significantly decreased by AM fungus inoculation, no significant difference among the three AM fungal isolates. AM inoculation substantially decreased the number of females, the number of eggs g(-1) root and of the number of eggs per egg mass. The number of egg masses g(-1) root was greatly reduced by inoculation with G. mosseae or G. versiforme. By considering plant growth, nutrient uptake, and the suppression of M. incognita together, G. mosseae and G. versiforme were more effective than G. intraradices.