Department of Plant Pathology, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana-141004
National Symposium on Strategic Issues in Plant Pathological Research held at Department of Plant Pathology, CSK HP Krishi Vishvavidayalaya, Palampur on November 24–25, 2011
Root knot nematode is an important nematode of vegetable crops causing more than 27 percent yield losses in tomato. Growing of susceptible vegetable crops one after another increases root knot nematode population in soil causing further yield losses. Root knot nematode infests tomato seedlings in seed beds as well as transplanted plants in fields. Protecting the nursery at seedling stage is necessary to prevent the further spread of nematode infestation to field. In the present studies, six chemicals were evaluated in pots and seed beds of tomato for their efficacy against root knot nematode for raising nematode free seedlings. These were; carbofuran @3kg/ha, phorate@3kg/ha and soil drenching with triazophos, chloropyriphos, monocrotophos and dimethoate @0.1%. Carbofuran and phorate were applied and mixed well with the soil in beds and soil drenching was done with 5l of 0.1% solution of triazophos, chloropyriphos, monocrotophos and dimethoate at the time of sowing. Germination count was taken fifteen days after sowing in seed beds and data on vairos parameters were recorded on forty day old seedlings. Observations in pots reveal that application of chemicals increased growth parameters of tomato seedlings except phorate. Significant reduction in root gall numbers was observed with application of chemicals. In pots, application of triazophos, phorate, monocrotophos did not show galling of roots. Growth parameters were increased in all the chemicals except phorate. In seed beds of tomato, all the chemicals significantly reduced root gall numbers in field with maximum reduction in phorate application (3.3) followed by triazophos (4.6) as compared to control(14.6). However, application of phorate @3kg/ha reduced germination count of tomato. Growth parameters of tomato nursery also showed almost same effects as were observed in pot culture experiments.
