Effect of soil texture and organic matter (leaf litter) content on the ability of Trichoderma longibrachiatum in promoting the growth of kidney bean and controlling Meloidogyne javanica

This research was conducted in two separate factorial experiments based on completely randomized designs with four replications. The ability of Trichoderma longibrachiatum in stimulating kidney bean (cv. Goli) growth was assessed in the first experiment with three factors including soil texture (sandy loam, loam, clay loam), organic matter (0.5 and 2% of leaf litter) and fungal application (0 and 106 spore ml-1 suspension) when the plants was not inoculated with Meloidogyne javanica. In the second experiment, the effect of soil texture, organic matter and managing method (no control, 10 ml of T. longibrachiatum containing 106 spore ml-1, and 2 mg active ingredient cadusafos 10G kg-1 soil) was tested on kidney bean growth, fungal controlling ability and M. javanica reproduction. The growth promoting effect of the fungus was not prominent. In the sandy loam or loam soil amended with 2% organic matter (leaf litter), the fungus showed its maximum efficacy and could decrease the nematode reproduction rate same as the chemical nematicide. Clay loam soil was not a suitable bed for kidney bean plants since no growth was seen if the soil that was not amended with organic matter and soil amended with 2% organic matter (leaf litter) resulted in poor growth.