HOST SUITABILITY OF SOME MEDICINAL PLANTS TO Meloidogyne incognita INFECTION UNDER GREENHOUSE CONDITIONS

Abstract

The host suitability of ten medicinal plant species i.e. carnation, celery, coriander, dill, geranium, peppermint, periwinkle, rose geranium, thorn apple and thyme to Meloidogyne incognita infection indicated that none of the tested plant species was immune and the incidence varied from plant species to another. Their host category was determined through the relationship between host plant growth response (% reduction of total plant fresh weight) or gall index and nematode reproduction factor (RF). Carnation and thyme were rated as highly susceptible (HS) or susceptible (S) hosts, since their plant growth parameters were highly affected along with reproduction factor >1. Rose geranium was rated as moderately intolerant (IT) or moderately resistant (MR), since its plant growth character was moderately affected along with reproduction factor <1. Geranium was rated as fairly resistant (FR) or (MR), since its plant growth criterion was moderately affected with reproduction factor >1. Dill, celery, coriander, thorn apple and periwinkle were classified as resistant (R) or moderately resistant (MR)hosts, since their plant growth were not affected with reproduction factors <1, depending upon the host suitability designations used.