EFECTOS DE LA APLICACIóN DE Pochonia chlamydosporia var. catenulata Kamyscho ex Barron y Onions (Zare y Gams) SOBRE EL DESARROLLO DE PLáNTULAS DE TOMATE (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

the strain imi sd 187 of pochonia chlamydosporia var. catenulata kamyscho ex barron y onions (zare y gams), is an effective biological control agent of meloidogyne spp.; however, important aspects, such as its effect on seedling development, are unknown. this study was carried out to evaluate the effect of applying p. chlamydosporia var. catenulate on some development parameters in tomato seedlings cv. vyta at the root-ball growth stage. the treatments were conformed taking two trays containing 104 root-balled seedlings each one; one of the trays inoculated with the fungus and the other one left uninoculated. the fungal parameters evaluated were cfu.g root-1 and cfu.g substrate-1. the plant parameters evaluated were height dynamics, stem thickness, number of active leaves, dry weight, moisture content of leaves, and absolute seedling growth rate. although a lesser growth was observed in the inoculated treatment at the end of root-ball stage, the fungus established well in the substrate and seedling roots, without affecting severely the development parameters evaluated; therefore, it is possible to use this inoculation form in the present methodology of application against meloidogyne spp.