Occurrence and Status of Virus Vector Nematodes in Apple Ecosystem of Kashmir, India

During an extensive survey, the analyzed data of eighty one collected composite soil samples of around 25–30 years aged apple trees in district, involving three fruit belts and comprising nine localities from each belt revealed that most pre dominant adenophoreans recorded with apple trees were Xiphinema insigne, X. index & Longidorus elongatus each with 100% frequency in all localities. These ranked first, second and third important adenophoreans in the district on the basis of percent relative density (20.89, 13.97 and 12.31) and on the basis of prominence value (698.4, 467.0 and 395.93). Their average population range was recorded as 66.67–73.52, 43.03–50.37 and 37.50–44.84 per 250 cc soil at 95% confidence interval respectively. Their importance values were found as 46.67, 45.28 and 38.68, respectively but on the basis of percent biomass L. elongatus ranked first (18.00), X. index as second (16.42) and X. insigne as third (12.55). Other adenophoreans were present with less frequency and their importance value in descending orders were recorded as 9.94, 8.68, 7.39, 6.83 and 5.310 for Longidorus mirus, Xiphinema americanum, X. diversicaudatus, L. brevicaudatus, and basiri, respectively.