1Nematology laboratory, Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasaragod-671 124 Kerala.
2National Research Centre for Banana, 17, Ramalinga Nagar South Extn., Vayalur Road, Trichy-620 017, Tamil Nadu.
The root-lesion nematode, Pratylenchus coffeae is considered to be one of the economically important nematode pests of oil palm and is widely distributed in South India. Its population fluctuates between samples, trees, months and years. Observations on population fluctuation and standardisation of sampling zone on oil palm during 1994–95, revealed a marked increase in nematode population during June to August. Maximum nematode population was recorded at a distance of 100 cm away from the bole region ofthe palm at a depth of 51–100 cm. Ecological conditions such as rainfall, soil moisture, soil temperature and availability of susceptible roots play important roles in the population build-up. Soil temperature, however, was considered to have a decisive effect.
Pratylenchus coffeae, oil palm, population fluctuation, standardisation, sampling technique
