National Plant Protection Training Institute, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad-500030, A.P.
Plant parasitic nematodes are important constraints to tomato production. In field trials between 1991 and 1992, efficacy of soil solarization, neem cake and carbofuran was tested against a naturally occurring mixed population of Meloidogyne javanica, Rotylechulus reniformis, Hoplolaimus seinhorsti, Helicotylenchus retusus, Tylenchorhynchus vulgaris and Tylenchus sp. on tomato cultivar Pusa Ruby. Soil solarization treatments, alone as well as an adjunct to carbofuran (0.5 kg a-i./ha) and neem cake (0.75 t/ha) applications were highly effective in reducing the nematode populations. Soil solarization + carbofuran (1 kg a.i./ha) increased the tomato yield by 96%. Soil application of neem cake (1.5 t/ha) was effective and increased the crop yield by 52%. Integration of soil solarization with lower dosage of neem cake (0.75 t/ha) was more effective than with higher dosage (1.5 t/ha).
