Identification of virulent isolate of Fusarium oxysporum infesting tomato and exploring its disease severity in the presence of root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita

The present study focused on identifying the native virulent Fusarium sp. associated with tomato (Solanum lycopersicon Mill) cv. ArkaVikas and to investigate its synergistic interaction with root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) in inducing wilt complex in tomato under pot culture conditions. The virulent isolate was identified as F. oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici through molecular characterization. TF-4 isolate was the most virulent strain among five tested isolates, exhibiting highest wilt incidence (85%) in tomato plants. Sequential inoculation of M. incognita followed by F. oxysporum exacerbated plant damage, with maximum wilt incidence recorded at 72.50%. It’s imperative to study the role of nematodes as a predisposing factor in increasing Fusarium wilt severity in tomato.