Nematodes of Cocoa (Theobroma Cacao L. )
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2007-02
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Abstract
Cocoa (Theobroma cacao h.) is one of the major cash crops in the tropics. West Africa grows about 60 per cent of the world crop. In India, cocoa though cultivated since 200 years, was till recently, confined to a very small area. Today the area under cocoa is about 10,000 ha, of which Kerala state grows cocoa in 5,500 ha mainly as an intercrop in coconut and arecanut gardens. The paper presents the results of a preliminary survey on plant parasitic nematodes associated with cocoa in Kerala and Karnataka. Though many species of plant parasitic nematodes have been recorded from the rhizosphere of cocoa, precise information on the patho-genicity of any one of them except of Meloidogyne incognita is lacking. Results of the preliminary survey comprising 88 each of soil and root samples collected from Kerala and Karnataka showed that the most common root parasite is Meloidogyne incognita and the dominant nematode in the rhizosphere is Helicotylenchus sp. Inoculation studies showed cocoa seedlings developed severe root galling with females with egg masses of M. incognita exposed to the root surface. Species belonging to Meloidogyne, Tylenchorhynchus, Hoplolaimus, Xiphinema, Helicotylenchus, Rotylenchulus, Cricon-emoides, Longidorus, Radopholus and Trichodorus were extracted from soil around roots of cocoa.
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In: Proceedings, PLACROSYM II, UPASI, Ootacamund, 26-29 Jun. 1979 Edited by C. S. Venkataram and others 1980 p-16-19