Author: S.A. KHANZADA, A. MUNIR, A. JAMAL, Z. AHMED AND M. BASHIR

Publishing Date: 2007

E-ISSN: 0255-7576

Volume 25 Issue 1

ABSTRACT:

Soil and root samplers of medicinal herbs viz., Ajwain (Trachyspermum ammi), Alsi (Linum usitatisimum), Buck wheat (Faygopyrum esculentum), Gul-e-babona (Matricaria chamomilla) and Kalonji (Nigella sativa), were collected from PGRP, IABGR / NARC Islamabad, Pakistan. The collected plant samples were showing the symptoms of discoloration, yellowing stunting and wilting in the field. The nematodes associated with these medicinal herbs were investigated. Among the phytoparasitic group, Tylenchorhynchus sp., was found as the most dominating nematode species followed by Helicotylenchus sp., and Hoplolaimus sp. Xiphenema sp., was recovered in high population density as omnivores among trophic group, the less prevalent nematodes among this group were Longidorus sp.,Trichodorus sp. Among other trophic groups the nematode genera isolated were bacterial feeder, (Alamida sp.,Cephalobida sp., Diplogastrida sp., and Plectus sp.) the fungi vores, (Aphelenchoides sp., and Rhabitidis sp.) the omnivores, and the predators, (Mononchid sp.). Although other soil pathogens were not isolated but the presence of all these trophic groups suggest lot of microbial activity going on in these fields.