BIODIVERSITY OF PLANT PARASITIC NEMATODES ASSOCIATED WITH BANANA IN THANJAVUR DISTRICT OF TAMIL NADU.

Banana is one of the most important fruits crops among the different fruit crops in the agricultural and its intensively cultivated in all over the parts of India especially in middle part of Tamilnadu. A total number of 80 each soil and root samples were collected from various part of Tamilnadu in Tiruchirapalli. Thiruvaiyaru, Thiruvidaimarudur, Kumbakonam, Papanasam, Thanjavur, Orathanadu, Pattukottai and Peravurani, Talkus of Thanjavur districts of Tamilnadu during December 2006 to March 2007. Covering a range of soil types such as clay (32) sandy (23), alluvial (17), sandy loam (4), red soil (3), Black soil (1), were processed and nematodes populations were assessed. In the present study revealed that the all talkus of root lesion nematodes (Pratylechus coffeae) was the predominant species found to occur in maximum number of root samples (42/80) and it has the highest prominence value of 48785.9, 20261.2, 54529.2, 127421.7, 53622, 49900.3, 30695.1 and 44569.3 with admiration to 8 talkus Thanjavur followed by spiral nematodes (Helicotylenchus multicintus) root knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita). P. coffeae was also recorded as a predominant species from all the cultivars surveyed and the occurrence percentage rate were, 42.5, 73, 33.3, 50, 100 and 100 with respect with cultivars Poovan, Monthan, Karpuravalli, Pacchnadan, Red banana, and Robusta, maximum percentage occurrence of P. coffeae was recorded from red soil (66.60%) followed by sandy loam soil (50.00%). Analysis of the soil sample revealed the presence of 12 genera of plant parasitic nematode.