EFFECT OF CROPPING AND INCORPORATION OF CROP RESIDUES OF TAGETES-ERECTA L ON THE POPULATION DEVELOPMENT OF MELOIDOGYNE-INCOGNITA (KOFOID AND WHITE) CHITWOOD ON PEPPER (CAPSICUM-ANNUUM-L)

In a field experiment, cropping Tagetes erecta (marigold) and incorpor ating its residues resulted in a significant reduction of infective ju veniles U2) of Meloidogyne incognita in the soil. Root galling of pepp er (Capsicum annuum) planted 6 months after incorporation of crop resi dues of T. erecta was reduced 88% and fruit yield was increased 37.6%. An economic analysis indicated a marginal return rate of 77.9%. As a nematode management practice, this treatment was superior to intercrop ping of C. annuum with T. erecta, and also superior to clean fallow an d to treatment with the nematicide phenamiphos prior to planting C. an nuum.