Plant-parasitic nematodes associated with Moringa tree (Moringa oleifera Lam.) in Adamawa, North Eastern Nigeria

Abstract

Abstract. Moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam.) is becoming an economically important crop because of its nutritional value, therefore, more land area is currently being devoted to its cultivation particularly by vegetable farmers. But right now, little is known about plant-parasitic nematodes as one of its probable pest problems. A survey was, therefore, carried out to determine the plant-parasitic nematodes (PPN) associated with Moringa tree in Adamawa State, Nigeria. Nine of the 21 local government areas (LGAs) of the state were randomly selected; and 10 moringa farms, indicating at least two household/home gardens, were picked from each of the selected local government area for the survey of PPN. In each selected sampling site, soil samples were taken from the base of randomly selected moringa plants to a depth of 15-25 cm using hand trowel and hoe. Composite sample from each LGA from root and soils were taken to Laboratory for nematode extraction. Nematodes were extracted from both soil and roots using Baermann Tray method. The Moringa tree root rhizosphere revealed the presence of 14 genera of plant-parasitic nematodes with specimens from Meloidogyne, Scutellonema, Aphelenchoides, and Hoplolaimus genera being more abundant and frequent. They recorded average prominence value of 123.96, 93.31, 63.83 and 61.83, respectively. Whereas in the roots, Meloidogyne and Scutellonema specimens were found more than the remaining plant-parasitic nematodes genera with an average prominence value of 50.92 and 22.26, respectively.

Keywords

• genera
• moringa root
• root rhizosphere
• prominence value