The lesion nematode, Pratylenchus coffeae (Zimmermann) Filipjev et Schuurmans Stekhoven is widely distributed in Tamil Nadu, India. According to Radewald et al. (1971), the nematode survived for 16 weeks in excised roots stored in moist soil and retained the capacity to infect, feed and reproduce. There is no information on the longevity of P. coffeae in soil. The present investigations were conducted with a nematode population from banana to determine the longevity of this nematode in fallow soil and in naturally infested root pieces.
