ECOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE HOST-SPECIFICI TY OF PLANT-PARASITIC NEMATODES ASSOCIATED WITH SOME CULTIVATED ORNAMENTALS IN MARTINIQUE (FRENCH-WEST-INDIES)

During a survey of ornamental plants conducted in Martinique in 1992, 498 soil and root samples were collected from ornamental plant species belonging to 3 families. the Araceae, Zingiberaceae and Strelitziacea e, a further 50 root samples were taken from Anthurium grown in artifi cial substrates. 27 plant-parasitic nematode species belonging to Is g enera were found, including one new species, Criconemoides ornativulva tus and two new records for Martinique viz. Helicotylenchus pseudorobu stus and Monotrichodorus sacchari. Nematode populations differed with the different ornamentals but Rotylenchulus reniformis was the dominan t species in all the soils. Except for a few single species of Trichod oridae, Criconematidae, Longidoridae and Tylenchulidae certain species were dominant on certain plants, e.g. Meloidogyne spp. on Ginger Lili es, Radopholus similis on Anthurium, Aorolaimus luci on Red Torch Ging er and Pratylenchus coffeae on Alocasia. The possible damages of these plant-parasitic species to flower cultivation and production is discu ssed.