Author(s): K. Roy, S. Roy, S. Sarkar, A. Rathod and A. Pramanik

Abstract: A roving survey was conducted on banana (Musa sp.) at Nadia and North 24-Parganas district of West Bengal and Vellayani areas of Thiruvanathapuram, Kerala, India during 2013-2014. Sixty seven soil and root samples (200cc) were collected from the banana fields for the study. Diversity of rhizospheric nematodes associated with banana revealed prevalence of 17 species of phytoparasitic nematodes, 3 species of predatory nematodes (Mylonchulus, Iotonchus and Ironus) and huge number of saprozoic nematodes. At Haringhata block of Nadia district Pratylenchus crenatus and P. coffeae were recorded as important migratory endoparasitic nematode pests of banana. Occurrence of P. crenatus is probably the first record of their existence on banana in West Bengal. Here, Meloidogyne incognita, M. javanica, Rotylenchulus reniformis, Hoplolaimus indicus, Helicotylenchus dihystera, Tylenchorhynchus mashhoodi, Criconemoides onoensis, Aphilenchus avenae and Xiphinema insigne were also recorded from the crop rhizosphere. Meloidogyne spp. and Rotylenchulus reniformis were also found as most abundant endoparasites of banana at Habra-II block of North 24-Parganas. Radopholus similis, Helicotylenchus multicinctus, and Pratylenchus coffeae were recorded as abundant migratory nematode endoparasites of banana from Vellayani, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Among those H. multicinctus was found most numerous in soil. Observation of different banana cultivars for the diversity of nematode fauna indicated that Musa (AAB) cv. Pisang Bale, Ney Poovan (AB) and CO-I (AAB) supported very low population of root knot nematodes. While, Ney Poovan (AB), Karpooravelli (ABB), Booditha Bontha Bothisa (CT), Gross Michel (AAA) and Red banana (AAA) supported very low population of P. coffeae. None of the cultivars of banana at the Mondouri farm under AICRP on Fruits, BCKV showed the existence of R. similis and H. multicinctus. Detailed morphometric and morphological informations on P. coffeae, P. crenatus, H. multicinctus, and R. similis, have been documented...

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