Synergistic interactions between Rhizoctonia solani Kühn, Verticillium dahliae Kleb., Meloidogyne spp. and Pratylenchus neglectus (Rensch) Chitwood & Oteifa, in potato.

Samples of a sandy soil and a marine clay soil sterilized by steam were put in 55-1 containers insulated with polystyrene and placed outdoors on a brick pavement. Sandy soil was infested singly or in all possible combinations with root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) and the fungiRhizoctonia solani andVerticillium dahliae, and the marine clay soil was infested with the root-lesion nematodePratylenchus neglectus and the same fungi to evaluate the effects of these organisms on the yield of potato. The experiments were carried out from 1983 to 1986.Tuber yield was reduced by single infestations of theMeloidogyne spp. andV. dahliae but not significantly byR. solani orP. neglectus. A three-factor interaction: nematode ×R. solani × V. dahliae was found in both experiments.R. solani andV. dahliae showed significant synergistic effects when soil was infested with theMeloidogyne spp. orP. neglectus