Abstract
Five VA mycorrhizal fungi (Gigaspora margarita, M1: Gigaspora sp., M2: Gigaspora gigantean, M3: Glomus manihotis, M4: Entrophospora colombiana, M5) were tested for their ability to mitigate damage caused by Meloidogyne javanica. M4 proved to be the most efficient endophyte in promoting plant growth in the presence of nematode, but M1 also was quite efficient. The root system of chickpea a grew significantly better only in the treatments with M1 and M4; with the other endophytes root fresh weight was not altered when compared with non-mycorrhizal plants. The development of nematode stages in the roots and the reproduction of larvae in the soil were differently supressed by VA mycorrhizal fungi, being most pronounced with M4, less with M1, only slightly with M2 and M3 but not at all with M5. The infection rate of ineffective mycorrhizal fungi was strongly decreased in the nematode treatment.
