Section of Plant Pathology, P.G. Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Hazratbal, Srinagar, Kashmir-190 006
Significant reduction in the population of nematodes were recorded due to combined effect of cropping sequences and ploughing in different seasons, resulting in improved plant growth of all the test crops viz. wheat, chilli, mustard, mung, lentil, cowpea, chickpea, okra and tomato. The cropping sequence wheat-chilli-fallow caused greatest reduction in nematode populations. It was followed by lentil-cowpea-mung, chickpea-okra-chilli, mustard-mung-tomato and tomato-fallow-okra. Fallowing after tomato and chilli in the 2nd and 3rd season of cropping sequence decreased the population of nematodes. The different crops involved in the cropping sequences when grown in the following season after other test crops showed better improvement than crops grown in the first season. Deep ploughing proved more effective than normal ploughing.
Cropping sequence, plant-parasitic nematodes, ploughing, plant growth
