OCCURRENCE, POPULATION-DENSITY, AND DISTRIBUTION OF ROOT-LESION NEMATODES, PRATYLENCHUS SPP., IN THE SULTANATE OF OMAN

Surveys were conducted in Batinah, Dhahira, Interior, Jabal Akhdar, an d Sharqia regions and Dhofar and Musandam governorates of the Sultanat e of Oman during cropping seasons from 1990-97, to study the, occurren ce, population density, and distribution of root-lesion nematodes. Twe lve species of Pratylenchus were recorded in association with 31 plant families that included 21 vegetable crops, 19 tree fruit crops, 16 fi eld crops, two ornamentals and 14 weeds. Eleven known species of Praty lenchus are reported in the country for the first time. Among them P. jordanensis was the most frequently observed nematode species occurrin g in association with 37 crops and 14 weed species and found widely di stributed in all the regions. Pratylenchus neglectus was the second mo st frequently recorded species in association with 24 plant species. P ratylenchus brachyurus Mcs, P. coffeae, P. scribneri, and P. zeae were the other economically important nematode species observed in the cou ntry.