Histology of the Interactions of Paecilomyces lilacinus with Meloidogyne incognita on Tomato

Excised tomato roots were examined histologically for interactions of the fungus Paecilomyces lilacinus and Meloidogyne incognita race 1. Root galling and giant-cell formation were absent in tomato roots inoculated with nematode eggs infected with P. lilacinus. Few to no galls and no giant-cell formation were found in roots dipped in a spore suspension of P. lilacinus and inoculated with M. incognita. Numerous large galls and giant cells were present in roots inoculated only with M. incognita. P. lilacinus colonized the surface of epidermal cells as well as the internal cells of epidermis and cortex. The possibility of biological protection of plant surfaces with P. lilacinus against root-knot nematodes is discussed.