In vitro screening of endophytic Fusarium oxysporum against banana nematode (Helicotylenchus multicinctus)

Abstract

Experiments were conducted to investigate the antagonistic effects of secondary metabolites produced by endophytic Fusarium oxysporum against Helicotylenchus multicinctus spiral nematode of banana. Endophytic F. oxysporum were isolated from healthy bananas sampled from Kilifi district in Kenya. Five endophytic isolates of F. oxysporum were selected for the in vitro bioassays against all the motile stages of banana spiral nematode (H. multicinctus). Mortality and paralysis were recorded at 3, 6 and 24 hours of exposure to culture filtrates. The effect of the isolates on nematode paralysis and mortality depended on the time of exposure to the culture filtrates. Results from this study demonstrated that endophytic F. oxysporum has the potential as a biological control against H. multicinctus and their secondary metabolites can be harnessed as bio-nematicides.