Plant Parasitic Nematodes Associated with Pomegranate (Punica granatum) and Grapes (Vitus vinifera) in District

Various pomegranate and grapes orchards were surveyed during the year 2022 at various localities District Swabi, the study aimed the incidence as well as identification of different genera of plant parasitic nematode (PPN). The nematodes are simple, colorless roundworms, and their bodies are un-segmented and tapering towards the head and tail, but some plant parasitic species have different body shapes, like pear, kidney, or lemon. Nematodes are small, and throughout the world, including Pakistan, important pests of crops and plants are plant parasitic nematodes. The living plant cells and tissues are fed by PPN. For investigation of PPN soil samples were collected from various localities. PPN was extracted through Baermann funnel technique from the rhizoshpere, and counted via genera. After fixation of nematodes on slides species were identified through morphological identification keys. There were many species recorded which belong to seven different genera . Helicotylenchus, Tylenchorhynchus, Meloidogyne, Longidorus, Trichodorus, Xiphinema, and Pratylenchus were found in pomegranate. Among these genera, Meloidogyne species were recorded in large population followed by Helicotylenchus in all collected samples of pomegranate. While Helicotylenchus, Filenchus, Tylenchorhynchus, Xiphinema, Tylenchus, and Pratylenchus were found in all collect samples from grapes orchards. Among all genera species of Filenchus were recorded in large numbers and the second highest species of Tylenchus genera were recorded. The rate of incidence and inhabitants are highly diverse among all surveyed localities which simply reveals the fact that studied sites are extremely infected by diverse species of PPN which eventually damage the cultivation of grapes and pomegranates.