Effect of combined soil application of biochar and oilcakes on Meloidogyne incognita infesting lentil (Lens culinaris cv. Desi)

Soil amendment with biochar is widely used to improve soil fertility and crop productivity. However, its effect on plant nematodes has not been examined properly. The present study investigates the effects of biochar on root knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita under in planta conditions. In pots experiment, biochar (45 g) when paired with oil cakes (15 g) suppressed the M. incognita and improved the plant growth of tested plant. Significant suppression in nematode infestation in terms of egg masses and eggs by (56.0 and 52.7%) and maximum improvement in plant growth in plant length and dry weight by 74.1 and 63.8%, respectively was observed when combined soil application of biochar and mustard cake was applied in the soil. The effect was least when biochar was applied alone. The study has suggested that biochar amendment along with mustard oil cake can control root knot nematode infestation in lentil.