EFFECT OF PHOSPHORUS ON THE INTERACTION OF VESICULAR-ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZAL FUNGI WITH MELOIDOGYNE INCOGNITA ON COWPEA

A pot experiment was conducted to study the effect of different levels of phosphorus (0, 50 and 100 µg/g soil) against the root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita, VAM fungi and the nematode and fungal interaction. All the differences among the growth parameters of cowpea at different phosphorus levels were significant. Plants with VAM were more resistant to M. incognita than those without. Plants treated with phosphorus resulted in increased total phosphorus content. Positive correlation was observed between the phosphorus levels and the nematode population, whereas negative correlation occurred between phosphorus levels and the VAM spore population and colonization.