Weed hosts of the root-lesion nematode pratylenchus speijeri in replanting sites cleared from nematode-infested plantain cv. apantu-pa (musa spp., aab-group) fields in Ghana
Date
2013-06
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Publisher
Nematropica
Abstract
Twenty five weed species were collected from six fields after the removal of plantain (Musa spp., AAB-group) cv Apantu-pa plants severely damaged by plant-parasitic nematodes in Ghana. Weed roots were processed and analyzed for presence of plant-parasitic nematodes. Three nematode species, Helicotylenchus multicinctus, Meloidogyne javanica and Pratylenchus speijeri were detected in the roots of ten of the weed species growing in the fields. Six weed species including Rottboellia cochinchinensis, Panicum maximum, Acalypha ciliata, Sida acuta, Brachiaria deflexa and Fleurya aestuans were found to harbour P. speijeri. Rottboellia cochincinensis had the highest population density of P. speijeri with a mean nematode population density of about 19 vermiforms/g fresh root. Lower root densities of 1.5 and 1/g fresh root were observed on Sida acuta and Fleurya aestuans, respectively. The remaining four weeds were colonized by P. speijeri at population levels < 1 nematode/g fresh root. Three weed species (Ageratum conyzoides, Chromolaena odorata and Synedrella nodiflora) harboured only H. multicinctus. These results emphasize the importance of proper weed management in fallow land that is destined for plantain production.
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Keywords
Alternate host, Host range, Lesion nematode, Plantain fields, Weeds