2.3.2 Evaluation of defence gene expression against M. incognita infection in tomato
Three week old healthy seedlings of tomato cv Pusa Ruby were transplanted in six inch plastic pots filed with a mixture of sterilized soil and 3% bacterial cultures (Bacillus pumilus , B. megaterium, B. subtilis and B. cereus ) in nutrient broth @ ~108cfu/mL, individually. Freshly hatched second stage juveniles (J2s) of M. incognita were inoculated @ 2J2s / cc of soil after seven days of transplanting. The treatments were, T1: Sterilized water (SW), T2: SW +M. incognita (Mi), T3: B. pumilus , T4: B. pumilus + Mi, T5:B. megaterium , T6: B. megaterium + Mi, T7: B. subtilis ,T8: B. subtilis + Mi, T9: B. cereus , T10:B. cereus + Mi, T11: Velum prime (VP, Fluopyram, nematicide), T12: VP + Mi. Plant samples were collected at an interval of 0, 2, 4, 8 & 16 days after inoculation (DAI), carried to the laboratory in the liquid nitrogen and stored at -80˚C until further use. Expression of three defense genes (PR1-1b, JERF3 and CAT) was evaluated to observe the effect of rhizobacteria inoculation on tomato plants.