Plant-Parasitic Nematodes of Crops in Dhofar Governorate Sultanate of Oman

A survey was carried out in August, 1995 in five wilayats of Dhofar governorate in the Sultanate of Oman. A total of 125 soil samples collected from 12 vegetable, 11 tree fruit and eight field crops were examined, and 17 genera of plant-parasitic nematodes were recorded, of which 8 genera and 11 species are reported for the first time in the region. The economically important nematode genera found were Helicotylenchus, Hoplolaimus, Meloidogyne, Pratylenchus, Radopholus, Rotylenchulus, Tylenchorhynchus and Tylenchulus. Helicotylenchus multicinctus, Meloidogyne incognita, M. javanica, Pratylenchus jordanensis, and Rotylenchulus reniformis were the most frequently observed and widely distributed nematode species on several vegetable and tree fruit crops, whereas Radopholus similis was often recorded on banana. The other nematode genera recorded were Aphelenchoides, Boleodorus, Criconemella, Hemicriconemoides, Hemicycliophora, Longidorus, Paratylenchus, Psilenchus and Xiphinema.