28 the control treatments the experiment was arranged in a completely randomized
design in the laboratory.
3.6 Parameter Observations, Data Collection and Analysis 3.6.1 Assessment of damage in tomato plant roots by RKN
Four weeks after nematode inoculation the experiment was terminated and the intensity of nematode damage on the roots was determined by checking on the
number of root-galls formed and number of egg masses on each root. Then the percentage reduction in infection by each particular endophytic fungi treatment
was determined using the following formular:
RI = Where:
¾ Nc - the intensity of RKN infection in control plants.
¾ Nt - the intensity of RKN infection in endophytic fungi treated plants.
¾
RI - the percentage reduction in infection
3.6.2 Assessment of plant growth parameters
Plant growth parameters were also measured to determine the effect of the endophytic fungi on growth performance of the tomato plants. The following
parameters were measured; plant height, stem diameter, number of fruits formed, plant fresh weight, plant dry weight, root length. Plant growth parameters were
taken on a weekly basis for the whole duration of the experiment. Plant height was measured as the distance from the point where the youngest leaf emerges from the
shoot tip to the base of the plant while the stem diameter was taken across the stem.
3.6.3 Experimental design and data analysis
. All the experiments were designed in a Randomized Complete Block Design in similar green house. There were twelve treatments with three plants per
29 treatment replicated four times. This experiment lasted for a period of 7 months to
the end. Data was analysed using Microsoft Excel and Statistical Analysis System
SAS software version 9.1. ANOVA was used to determine the difference among treatment means, while the significance difference between each treatment
means was done further using DMRT at 5 significance level.
30
IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
4.1 Results
4.1.1 Exploration of Endophytic Fungi 4.1.1.1 Isolation of endophytic fungi
There was higher percentage of endophytic fungi isolated from healthy tomato plants 50 as compared to nematode infected plants 15. Diversity index
of endophytic fungi was higher in healthy plants 0.926 than in nematode infected plants 0.645 according to Simpson index Simpson 1949
,
in this case therefore it was observed that that endophytic fungi from healthy plants were
composed of many different types of endophytic fungi as compared to the nematode infected plants. similarity index, was low 0.154 indicating that
endophytic fungi obtained from healthy and nematode infected plants were different, this was in according to Sorensen index Sorensen 1948 modified by
Bray Curtis 1957 as illustrated in Table 1. Table 1. Endophytic fungi isolated from healthy and nematode infected roots
Note: Numbers in parenthesis are sample number
Endophytic fungi Healthy
plants of
isolation Infected
Plants of
isolation Origin
Torula sp
220 10 120 5 Highland Sterile black 2
220 10
020 Highland
Sterile black 1 120
5 020
Low land F. chlamydosporum
120 5 020 0 Low
land T. hamatum
220 10 020 0 Low land
F. oxysporum 120 5 020 0
Low land
Chrysosporium sp
220 10 020 0 Low land
T. pseudokoningii 420 20 020 0 Low
land Nigrospora
sp 220 10 020 0 Low
land Isolate XP 9
320 15
020 Low land
Ulocladium sp
020 0 520 25 Highland
Fusarium sp 3
020 0 420 20 Highland
Total No. of isolates 20
10 Total No. of species
10 3
endophytic fungi 50
15 Diversity index
0.926 0.645
Similarity index 0.154
