Research Papers: Comparison Between a Flotation Method and a Sieving Method for Determination of Radopholus similis in Banana Roots
Authors
J. Escobar
R. Rodriguez-Kabana
Keywords:
Extraction Methods, Burrowing Nematodes, Musa spp, Techniques
Abstract
The number of Radopholus similis (Cobb) Thorne in 25 g of banana roots was determined following a traditional sieving technique and a flotation-sieving method. The flotation method utilized a molar sucrose solution with 12.5 ug/ml of the floculating agent Separan(?) NP 10. Results obtained from a comparison of the two methods with 50 samples were highly correlated (r = +0.98). The flotation method consisted in macerating roots in 100 ml of water followed by addition and mixing of 250 ml of the sucrose solution. After a 2 min wait the clear supernatant was passed through an 80 um sieve (10-cm diam) nested over a 400 um sieve. The nematodes in the latter sieve were then transferred into a bottle with 250 ml of water for counting.