Annals of Plant Protection Sciences
Year : 2004, Volume : 12, Issue : 1
First page : ( 106) Last page : ( 109)
Print ISSN : 0971-3573.

Observations on Foliar Nematode, Aphelenchoides besseyi in Tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa L.)

Khan M.R.

Department of Agri. Entomology, B.C.K.V., Kalyani, Nadia 741 235, India <mrkhanbckv@rediffmail.com/mrkhan_nema@yahoo.com>

Abstract

Tuberose cv. exhibited in disease symptoms on leaves and flower stalks when its sprouted bulbs were inoculated with Aphelenchoides besseyi. Though fungal association in the diseased parts was observed, two fungi viz., Fusarium sp. and Alternaria sp. were isolated from naturally infested plants of tuberose collected from fields. Nematode A. besseyi was found to survive and multiply on Fusarium sp. cultured on PDA. The nematode could survive in all the stages under anhydrobiotic condition by coiling its body at room temperature (15 to 35°C) for more than 25 months. The nematode could survive in the slow drying scaly leaves, floral parts and stalks but not inside the bulb or in soil even for one crop season. Its dissemination occurred through planting bulbs, flower stalks, scaly leaves and floral parts. Out of the six tuberose cultivars viz. Calcutta single, Calcutta double, Suvasini, Swama rekha, Rajat rekha and Shringar, only Suvasini was immune to attack by A. besseyi. The heavily infected Calcutta double contained about 45,000 nematodes in individual stalk. Observation on population fluctuation of A. besseyi in tuberose Calcutta single in naturally infested field revealed that population of A. besseyi was dependent on R.H. and atmospheric temperature. The highest (l084-2768/stalk) population of the nematode was recorded during July-November and the lowest (87/stalk) in the month of January. Temperature and R.H. were the important environmental factors influencing nematode population and foliar disease problem.

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Key words

Aphelenchoides besseyi, Polianthes tuberosa, Survival, Varietal response.

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