Nematode Management in India

Insect and diseases cause great losses to various crops and nematodes also play an important role in reducing yield of crops. On a world wide basis, the average yield loss caused by nematodes is estimated to be 12.3%. We must admit that plant parasitic nematodes which are tiny, not easily observable with the naked eyes are hidden enemies. The losses which they cause are equally hidden. The importance of nematode in sustaining yields is, therefore, very important. However, this fact is known only to the community of nematologists. Both scientific community of Plant Protection as well as the extension agencies at the centre and state are not aware and not convinced about the need for management of nematode pests for sustaining agriculture production. We would say that nematologists are busy in doing research and publishing their papers. The extension people have least knowledge about the losses being caused due to nematode pests and hence the farmers are deprived of the awareness and the consequent advantages they can obtain through management of nematodes of various crops. In the last decade some adaptable technologies for management of nematodes in some of the crops have been developed. These are being described in this paper with the hope that extension agencies/scientists working in the area of plant protection would make use of these for advocating the benefits. Farmers can reap through management of nematode pests by adopting these technologies.