Diversity and Community Structure of Phytonematodes Associated with Guava in and Around Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India

An extensive survey of plant parasitic nematodes from fourteen localities of Aligarh district was conducted during November, 2011 to March, 2011. A total of 164 samples were collected and analyzed for plant parasitic nematodes and their importance through community analysis. Analysis of soil samples revealed the presence of twelve genera of plant parasitic nematodes viz; Meloidogyne, Hoplolaimus, Pratylenchus, Helicotylenchus, Tylenchus, Tylenchorhynchus, Hemicriconemoides, Aphelenchoides, Longidorus, Trichodorus, Xiphinema and Rotylenchulus. Among plant parasitic nematodes, the highest absolute density and relative density were recorded in Meloidogyne spp. followed by Hoplolaimus spp., Moreover, in relation to absolute frequency and relative frequency the Hoplolaimus spp. ranked first. The prominence value of Meloidogyne spp. ranked first followed by Hoplolaimus spp. However, the saprozoic nematodes showed the highest absolute density, relative density, absolute frequency, relative frequency and prominence value as compared to the plant parasitic nematodes. The present investigations have clearly indicated that the association of plant parasitic nematodes with guava, especially the most frequentlyoccurring ones like Meloidogyne spp., Hoplolaimus spp., Rotylenchulus sp., Helicotylenchus sp. and Hemicriconemoides sp., are highly pathogenic in nature.