Management of Root-Knot Nematode-Fusarium Wilt Complex with different Bio-management methods in Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) var Srijana

Grafting tomato onto resistant Solanum rootstocks, especially Solanum torvum and Solanum melongena, most effectively suppressed the root-knot nematode–Fusarium complex under polyhouse conditions.

• Why it matters: The root-knot nematode–Fusarium complex is a major constraint in Nepal’s protected tomato cultivation, particularly for the Srijana hybrid lacking Mi-mediated nematode resistance.
• What they did: In a pot experiment at Pokhara, Kaski, plants were inoculated with ~2,000 nematode eggs and then Fusarium (10^6 spores/ml, 25 ml) seven days later; treatments included biocontrol agents, self-grafting, and resistant rootstocks.
• The result: The complex reduced vegetative biomass more than either pathogen alone (20.32 gm vs 38.40 gm vs 51.32 gm at 45 DAT), while grafting onto S. torvum and S. melongena achieved 97.9% and 93.6% nematode management efficiency, respectively.