Nematode Pests of Horticultural Crops and their Management (1+1)

Course Overview

The course ‘Nematode pests of horticultural crops and their management’ is meant to acquaint the students with the plant parasitic nematodes which are of great pathogenic significance to Horticultural crops at economic level. Basic concepts regarding their general characters, morphological features and biology will be covered to help the students to identify the plant parasitic nematodes and differentiate them from other groups of nematodes. Historical aspects of the subject will be covered briefly. Economic importance of nematodes having significance as pathogens at national and global level will be taught. Symptoms are the important means of diagnosis of a disease. Symptoms caused by the nematodes associated with important Horticultural crops including vegetables, tubers, fruits, ornamental plants, spice and plantations crops and their management in these crops will be dealt with. Since nematodes are the key constituents of interaction with other micro-organisms like bacteria, fungi and viruses, which in most cases increase the damage to the crop manifold, preliminary information regarding some common important interactions will be given.
Basic Practical technical know how to deal with these pathogenic nematodes like their extraction from soil and plant parts, picking, preservation, and temporary and permanent mount preparation will be given. Handling and use of microscopes for nematological studies will be taught. Students will be demonstrated to observe the important morphological characters of a typical plant parasitic nematode at different magnifications.