Abstract
The effects of seedling age at inoculation and the mechanical wounding of roots on the development and severity of the disease complex caused by the interaction between Macrophomina phaseolina and Meloidogyne javanica on green bean were examined in two different greenhouse pot experiments. The results showed that disease severity decreased with increasing seedling age at inoculation from 4 to 6 to 8 weeks, and nematode reproduction was suppressed. However, mechanical wounding of the roots during inoculation with both pathogens increased the root-rot index, root galling severity, fungal recovery from roots, and the number of eggs per gram roots produced by the nematodes, consequently decreasing plant growth.