Abundance of Phytoparasitic Root Nematodes Associated with Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum Mill.) in Kalaburagi, Karnataka, India

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum Mill.) is the most commonly grown prime vegetable crop in India and all around the world. Tomato is cultivated majorly in many states of the nation including Karnataka and plays an important role in the Indian economy. The ripe tomato fruits act as the best source of vitamin A, Vitamin D and also have various antioxidant properties. Tomato crop progressively gets infested by various diseases at different stages from vegetation up to fruiting. The diseases such as bacterial leaf spot, bacterial wilt, leaf curl, fruit canker and Septoria leaf spot are caused by different Bacteria, Viruses and Fungi. Nematodes also result in root-knot, stunting and fusarium wilt diseases which may reduce the crop yield and fruit quality. The present survey was carried out from June 2021 to November 2021 in selected tomato plots of Kalaburagi district to identify different species of root nematodes affecting tomato crop in the selected study area. According to the survey results a total of six species of root nematodes were isolated and identified namely Meloidogyne spp., Globodera Spp., Paratrichodors minor, Helicotylenchus dihystera, Pratylenchus spp. and Rotylenchus buxophilus from selected study plots of Nirgudi, Bhosga, Bhosga Tanda, Gobbur, Sannur, Nadikur and Khanadal. The results suggest that Meloidogyne sps and Paratrichodors minor were most commonly recorded. The highest abundance of these nematodes recrded in Nirgudi region and in Nandikur region population of these root nematodes is least abundant.