Prevelance of plant parasitic nematodes in Gladiolus hortulans L. in and Around Srinagar, Kashmir.

The prevelane of nematode pests in Gladiolus (Gladiolus hortulans L.) was studied in three localities viz., Cheshmashahi, Shalimar and Chandpora of Srinagar District of the Kashmir Valley. Among plant-parasitic nematodes, root-knot nematode Meloidogyne, Helicotylenchus and Pratylenchus spp., were found to be associated with the roots of the crop. Analysis of nematodes community of the three localities revealed that H. pseudorobustus and Basiria graminophila were predominant at Cheshmashahi while, B. graminophila and Xiphinema basiri at Shalimar and B. praminophila and Paratylenchus spp. at Chandpora, of the district. Rhabditids and some other free-Iiving nematodes were also found in all the three localities in varying numbers.