Annals of Plant Protection Sciences

Seed germination and seedling emergence of lettuce was inhibited significantly at a level of 500 Meloidogyne incognita/kg soil and above. There was more reduction in germination and seedling emergence in unsterilized soil than in sterilized soil. However, the significant decreased in growth parameters of lettuce due to M. incognita started at the level of 50 J₂/kg soil. With the increase in initial inoculum above 50 J₂, there was further decrease in growth characters viz., leaf and root length, fresh and dry weight of leaf and root of lettuce, the maximum reduction being at the highest level of (5000 J₂/Kg soil). The number of galls formed on roots was found to increase with increased initial inoculum up to a level of 5000 nematodes. Though in number the maximum nematode population in soil and root was observed at initial level of 5000 M. incognita but the maximum increase in multiplication rate was at the inoculum level of 50 J₂.