Author: K. NASIRA AND F. SHAHINA

Publishing Date: 2007

E-ISSN: 0255-7576

Volume 25 Issue 1

ABSTRACT:

During the period 2003-2006, extensive surveys on the occurrence and the geographical distribution of plant parasitic and soil nematodes in Sindh, Punjab and NWFP were undertaken. Taxonomis studies showed that the identified nematodes species belong to the order Tylenchida, Aphelenchida, Rhabditida, Diplogastrida, Cephalobida, Dorylaimida, Mononchida, Enoplida, Chromadorida, Monhysterida and Triplonchida. A total of 2515 samples comprising 13 host plants were collected from more than 150 localities of 3 provinces. Samples include vegetables, cereals and fruit trees. Nematodes which were identified belonging to 109 genera, 45 families, eleven orders and 2 classes of phylum Nematoda. One genus and 30 species are new to science, while 42 genera and 25 species have been recorded for the first time form Pakistan. Beside these, four species of entomopathogenic nematodes viz., S. pakistanense, S. asiaticum, S. feltiae and H. indica were also found. New found isolates of entomopathogenic nematodes were evaluated for virulence and identification shall be confirmed after the molecular work.