African Plant Protection (1998) 4, 19-25

P.R. Speijer, J. Mudiope, F. Ssango and E. Adipala (1998)
Nematode damage and densities at different plant growth stages of East African highland banana (Musa AAA) cv. Mbwazirume
African Plant Protection 4 (1), 19-25
Abstract: Nematode damage was assessed on different growth stages of the East African highland banana (Musa AAA, 'Matooke' group) cv. Mbwazirume grown in nematode-infested and non-infested plots under three crop management regimes. The banana plants were grown for a period of three years either well-mulched, clean-weeded or intercropped with finger millet. Root and rhizome damage and nematode densities were assessed on recently flowered plants, suckers detached from recently-flowered plants and suckers detached from recently-harvested plants. Damage was expressed as percentage dead roots, percentage root necrosis and percentage root bases with lesions, Significantly more severe root and rhizome damage was observed in infested plots than in non-infested plots. Radopholus similis and Helicotylenchus multicinctus numbers were significantly higher in roots detached from infested plants than from non-infested plants. Nematode damage on banana plants can best be assessed using suckers detached from recently-harvested plants. At this crop stage, damage and nematode densities were least influenced by crop management regime, Crop management Significantly influenced root necrosis in recently flowered plants, and dead roots. root necrosis and H. muiticinctus densities in suckers detached from recently-flowered plants. Crop management may influence plant tolerance to nematodes as suckers grown in well-mulched plots produced significantly more roots in Infested plots than in non-infested plots.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Database assignments for author(s): Ekwamu Adipala

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
environment - cropping system/rotation
damage/losses/economics

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Radopholus similis	Banana/plantain (Musa)
	Helicotylenchus multicinctus	Banana/plantain (Musa)