<i>Bacillus subtilis</i> 34 and water-retaining polymer reduce <i>Meloidogyne javanica</i> damage in tomato plants under water stress

Abstract Combining the water deficit of Meloidogyne javanica poses a challenge for tomato production. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of combining Bacillus subtilis 34 ( BS 34) and water-retaining polymer (WRP) on the control of M. javanica in tomato crops under water-deficit conditions. The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design with eight replications, using a 4 × 5 factorial arrangement consisting of four growing environments with different applications of BS 34 and WRP (control, WRP alone , BS 34 alone, and BS 34 + WRP) and five soil water tensions (10, 25, 40, 55, and 70 kPa). Agronomic and nematological variables were evaluated 65 days after transplanting. The application of WRP + BS 34 improved the environmental conditions for tomato plant development, regardless of soil water tension. The treatments with WRP + BS 34 and BS 34 alone resulted in effective control of M. javanica . Soil water tensions exceeding 10 kPa reduced tomato plant development.