Changes in peroxidase (PO) enzyme in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) infected with root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita)

An experiment was carried out for two successive years 2021 and 2022 under cage house condition in pots filled with naturally infected soil with root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita @ 2 J2/g soil to assess the induction of of peroxidase (PO) enzyme activity of different fungal bioagents such as Trichoderma harzianum, T. viride, Purpureocillium lilacinum, Metarhizium anisopliae and Beauveria bassiana on tomato were carried out and revealed that all the tested fungal bio-agents have the ability to induce peroxidase enzyme activity against M. incognita which resulted in the increase in the biometric parameters like shoot length (cm), shoot weight (g), root length (cm), root weight (g) after 15, 30 and 45 days after inoculation (DAI) and decrease in the nematode reproduction on the tomato and in the soil as compared to the untreated control after 30 and 45 DAI. However, among the tested fungal bio-agents, T. harzianum not only showed the highest biochemical activity of peroxidase (PO) content but also showed increase in the biometric parameters of tomato and decrease in the nematode reproduction on tomato as well as in the soil.