ABSTRACT
Research on the control of nematodes on cotton at TCRI was devoted to various aspects of integrated nematode management. Long- and short-term research objectives for laboratory, greenhouse and field research have been identified and are currently being pursued. The most economically important nematodes needing attention are Meloidogyne incognita race 4 and various Pratylenchus and Paratrichodorus spp. Chemical control remains the most important means of nematode control, to such an extent that chemicals are almost abused. Various new nematicides and application techniques have been evaluated in field trials. Germplasm with genetic resistance to M. incognita race 4 has been identified and is being incorporated into cotton breeding lines. A nematode-tolerant line has been selected for commercialization and yield and quality characteristics are being monitored further at different localities. A commercially available biological control agent for nematodes, Paecilomyces lilacinus, is presently being evaluated for incorporation in an integrated pest management programme, with adaptations to be made for improved application techniques and nematode control on annual field crops with suboptimum environmental conditions. Host plant suitability was determined for numerous rotational crops under greenhouse conditions. Long-term field trials are being done with selected oat and wheat cultivars to determine the shift of nematode species and populations under different cropping regimes. Proper agronomical and field practices and water management strategies are advocated by extension and research officers in order to establish the basic principles and available control measures within an integrated nematode control system.
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