Survival of predatory nematode, Fictor composticola khan etal. in agar plates and spent mushroom compost

Survival of Fictor composticola, a predatory nematode, was studied in agar plates at different temperature and moisture and spent mushroom compost in polythene bags, cloth bags and in a heap during off-season (April-September). Compost samples were taken at fortnightly interval for the extraction of nematodes. In the heap, F. composticola survived throughout the season although its population fluctuated. Free living and mycophagous nematodes were also recovered in active state. Survival of F. composticola was found better in polybags than in cloth bags.

In survival studies done in agar plates under in vitro conditions, it survived up to two months without food at 25°C. At room temperature, (27.8 to 33.4°C), it survived for 70 days with water but for 60 days without adding water. F. composticola survived for 75 days without prey in 1% agar plates at lower room temperature (15.6–26.7°C).