Oka, Y., Department of Nematology, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel
Chet, I., Dept. Plant Pathol. and Microbiol., Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Faculty of Agriculture, Rehovot 76100, Israel
Mor, M., Department of Nematology, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel
Spiegel, Y., Department of Nematology, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel

A fungal parasite was isolated from black-coloured egg masses of Meloidogyne javanica on tomato roots. The fungus did not sporulate on any of the culture media tested or in the egg mass. Hyphal characteristics suggest that it is similar to the hyphomycete genus Scytalidium. Hyphae of the Scytalidium-like fungus (CBS 645.97 and IMI 368886) proliferated in the gelatinous matrix of the egg mass and penetrated the eggshell via a penetration peg. Parasitism of the egg mass greatly lowered the hatch rate of M. javanica juveniles in vitro. Application of the fungus to soil did not inhibit juvenile penetration into tomato roots. However, the nematode population in soil treated with the fungus was lower than in non-treated soil after one nematode generation. The exact identification of the Scytalidium-like fungus, technology for mass production and its application in the field for control of root-knot nematodes requires further investigation.