THE ROOT-KNOT NEMATODE, MELOIDOGYNE INCOGNITA, ON PSORALEA CORYLIFOLIA IN INDIA

Psoralea corylifolia, also known as babchi, is a medicinal herb that grows throughout much of the world. A severe infestation of root-knot nematodes (RKN), identified as Meloidogyne incognita Race 1, was observed on P. corylifolia plants cultivated at the Agriculture Farm of the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, Issapur, New Delhi, India. Roots of infected plants were heavily galled, and soil samples collected from the rhizosphere of affected plants yielded 536-845 second-stage juveniles (J2)/200 cm(3) soil. The severe root galling and presence of a high population density of J2 in the soil around symptomatic plants indicates that RKN can be a potentially damaging pest of P. corylifolia. These findings will assist Psoralea growers in recognizing RKN as an economic threat to the crop and should increase growers' awareness of the need to take soil samples from prospective babchi fields prior to planting. Some possible management strategies are discussed.