FIRST REPORT ON OCCURRENCE OF SPIRAL NEMATODE, Helicotylenchus sp. IN FALLOW REGIONS OF TAMIL NADU

C. MATHIVATHANI¹*, S. SUBRAMANIAN^2
1Department of Nematology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, 641003, India
²Department of Nematology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, 641003, India
* Corresponding Author : vathanichandhran@gmail.com

Received : 01-06-2018     Accepted : 10-06-2018     Published : 15-06-2018
Volume : 10     Issue : 11       Pages : 6279 - 6280
Int J Agr Sci 10.11 (2018):6279-6280

Keywords : Community analysis, Prominence value, Population density, Fallow soil, Desiccation, Plant parasitic nematodes
Conflict of Interest : None declared
Acknowledgements/Funding : Author thankful to Department of Nematology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, 641003, India
Author Contribution : All author equally contributed

Community analysis plays a vital role in assessing the population of plant parasitic nematodes in a region and helps in identifying the major areas of nematode attack. This investigation involves a study of community structure of phytonematodes in fallow soil in different zones of Tamil Nadu. A random survey was conducted in five zones of Tamil Nadu viz., East, west, north, south and centre for important plant parasitic nematodes having desiccation tolerance and their survival under host free condition. Collections of soil samples were done at the fallow areas and total numbers of samples were restricted to 10 per location at the depth of 15-20 cm depth. Extraction of nematodes was done by Cobb’s decanting and sieving method followed by modified Baermann’s funnel technique. Estimation of nematode population was done in a multichambered counting dish under stereo zoom microscope and the nematode genera were identified by comparing the characters. Four major nematode species viz., Helicotylenchus incisus, Hoplolaimus seinhorsti, Meloidogyne incognita and Rotylenchulus reniformis besides Tylenchorhynchus sp., Pratylenchus sp., Radopholus similis and Aphlenchus avenae were encountered in the survey. Helicotylenchus incisus was the predominant nematode species in all the zones with high frequency and density and could tolerate desiccation upto 12 months of host free condition. This is the first record of various species of phytonematodes associated with fallow regions of Tamil Nadu.

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