Isolation and selection of Arthrobotrys nematophagous fungi to control the nematodes on coffee and black pepper plants in Vietnam

Aimed to apply the nematophagous fungi in controlling plant parasitic nematodes on coffee and black pepper in Vietnam, nematode-trapping fungi strains were isolated, selected, tested in laboratory, greenhouse and field. Three of 153 isolated nematophagous fungi strains from soil samples collected from Dak Lak and Gia Lai provinces were selected, labeled as NVC-7.4, NVC-28.8 and NVH-12.5. Based on the morphological characteristics and ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 genes sequencing for ribosomal RNA, NVC-7.4 and NVH-12.5 isolates were identified belonging to Arthrobotrys oligospora, and NVC-28.8 isolates belonging to Arthrobotrys guizhouensis. All of isolates had multi-trap ability for different nematodes species, especially to Meloidogyne incognita and Pratylenchus coffea on coffee and black pepper plants in Vietnam. The greenhouse and field experiments showed that selected nematode were capable to trapping the nematodes and reduced the density of nematodes in soils planted coffee and pepper. Coffee and black pepper plants inoculated with nematophagous fungi showed better growth.