Root knot nematode: Meloidogyne incognita

Hosts: Tomato, Brinjal, Chillies, Bhendi, Snake gourd

Symptoms

Root knot infested tomato plants		Ribbed gourd root

Root knot infested bhendi plants	Root knot infested Chilli plants

• Presence of galls on the roots (large fleshy galls in Snake gourd, large and firm galls in other vegetable crops, very small galls in chillies).
• Plants wilt rapidly especially under dry growing conditions and are often stunted.
• Growth may be retarded and leaves may be chlorotic.
• In cases where seedlings infestation has taken place, numerous plants die in the seed bed and seedlings do not survive transplanting.
• In those plants that do survive, flowering and fruit production is strongly reduced.
• The losses caused by Meloidogyne on root and tuber crops like carrot both quantitatively and qualitatively, because nematode galling affects marketability.

Management

• Only seedlings with roots free of galls should be selected for transplanting.
• Application of Pseudomonas fluorescens @10g/m2  in nursery.
• Crop rotation with non-hosts or resistant crops.
• Proper weed control
• Destruction of galled roots after harvest.
• Soil solarization with clear plastic tarps during summer.
• Use of resistant cultivars.
• Application of carbofuran 3G @ 1kga.i./ha (33 kg/ha).