A Survey of Plant Parasitic Nematode Associated with Avocado (Persea americana) In Gembu Sardauna Local Government Area of Taraba State

Abstract

Plant parasitic nematode causes damages to Agricultural crops which includes plantations and horticultural crops among others. It is in this regard a survey was conducted to identify the different plant parasitic Nematodes genera, frequency of occurrence and population density of the plant parasitic nematode associated with avocado (Persea americana) in Gembu ward (A and B) Sardauna local government area of Taraba state Nigeria in the month of May/June, 2022. About 120 soil samples were collected at random from the rhizosphere of avocado plant. A total of ten composite soil samples were obtained from each wards out of which 250cm of soil was used for the nematode extraction using modified Tray-method. Followed by identification of plant parasitic nematode genera which was done using pictorial key to genera. The results of the microscopic analysis of the soil samples in the surveyed areas reveal the existence of eight (8) genera, including: Meloidogyne, Helicotylenchus, Xiphenema, Pratylenchus, Aphelenchus, Radopholus, Trichodorus and Rotylenchus. Meloidogyne was the most widely distributed with frequency of occurrence value in percentage (16.26) and (19.11), and the least frequent genera was Rotylenchus (8.94) and (7.72) and population density value in percentage  Meloidogyne (16.3) and  (19.1), followed by Helicotylenchus (14.6) and (17.3) and the genera with least population density was Rotylenchus (8.9) and (7.7) respectively.