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A glass house experiment was conducted for the effectiveness of nematophagous fungi against Meloidogyne graminicola in which Arthrobotrys oligospora and Dactylaria eudermata were used for the management of root knot disease of rice. Root knot nematodes, Meloidogyne graminicola had proved itself as an important limiting factor for successful cultivation and productivity of rice. By amending the soil with application of mass culture of two nematophagous fungi (Arthrobotrys oligospora and Dactylaria eudermata) reduced the number of root galls by 86.9% and 81.1%, of females by 94.2% and 91.7%. The mass culture of these fungi increased the plant growth: shoot length by 41.9% and 38.8%, root length by 44.6% and 41.8%, fresh weight of shoot by 61.1% and 58.7%, and fresh weight of root by 24.3% and 22.5%, respectively over nematode infested soil. The better performance of A. oligospora may be attributed to better colonization and establishment of A. oligospora than D. eudermata and may be better tolerance of the fungus to soil fungistasis.

Winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus) is of rapidly increasing interest as a high-protein multipurpose crop; in the future the winged bean could become as important as the soybean in world agriculture, with the added bonus of yielding substantial quantities of edible, high-protein root tubers. During the survey of root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne species) on vegetable crops in Uttar Pradesh (India), it was observed that winged bean was restricted to home gardens and backyard cultivation where it was found severe galling of roots and reduces tuber production and may affect pod and seed yield. Sometimes leaf anthracnose disease was also observed but it does not cause severe loss to the crop.

An extensive survey was conducted (2007)(2008)(2009) to assess the incidence and intensity of root-knot disease on field crops especially rice and vegetable crops in 21 districts, representing the major production centre in Uttar Pradesh (India). Based on incidence, population density and associated damage on affected crops, Meloidogyne species were considered to be the most important parasites of the crops under local condition. The increasing occurrence and damage of this nematode to tomato, rice, brinjal, okra, cowpea, cucurbits, onion, pumpkin and bitter gourd grown in northern India was recently documented. Heavy galling was caused in many crops including rice, tomato, okra, cowpea, onion, pumpkin, brinjal and bitter gourd; also root decay or reduced root system was common among these crops. Attacked plants had yellowish foliage, unthrifty growth and small slow growing fruits and poor yields. The extent of crop losses depends on the initial nematode population, susceptibility of the crop, cropping sequence, age of the plants, soil fertility and involvement of secondary pathogens.

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