Influence of endophyticbacteria and organic materialson theMeloidogyne incognita infection of black pepper

Abstract

Plant parasitic nematodes Meloidogyne incognitais stilla major problem and cause significant demage and losses to black pepper in Indonesia. The need to control and manage nematode population to acceptable levels remains a big concern. Endophytic microorganisms resident within plant tissues have attracted attention due to their interesting features related to plant growth and biocontrol activity against plant pests and diseases. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of selected endophytic bacteriaBacillus sp AA2 and MER7 in combination with organic materials onplant parasitic nematodes M. Incognita infection of black pepper. Endophytic bacteria that used in this study were isolated from roots of black pepper using a surface sterilization method. The results of the research showed that application of selectedendophytic bacteria in combination with organic materials were able to reduce the infection of M.incognita in the roots plant. Application of endophytes and organic material was also ableto increase the growth of black pepper.