CHANGES INDUCED BY MELOIDOGYNE INCOGNITA AND ROTYLENCHULUS RENIFORMIS, INDIVIDUALLY AND IN COMBINATION, ON PHYSIOLOGY, CHLOROPHYLL AND NUTRIENTS CONTENT OF PAPAYA
Authors
S. Ramakrishnan
G. Rajendran
Abstract
The effect of different inoculum levels (10, 100 and 1000) of Meloidogyne incognita and Rotylenchulus reniformis, individually and in combination, on physiological functions, leaf chlorophyll and plant nutrients content of papaya was investigated in a pot experiment. An initial inoculum of 1000 J[sub2] of M. incognita per kg of soil resulted in the greatest reduction in 'a', 'b' and total chlorophyll content, increase in leaf temperature, evaporation rate and diffusion resistance; decrease in photosynthesis; accumulation of nutrients N, P, K, Ca and Mg in the roots. Changes induced by M. incognita in the physiology of papaya were directly correlated with nematode inoculum density and were greater than the responses to inocula of Rotylenchulus reniformis or concomitant inocula of both nematodes.