Nematode problems of important medicinal and aromatic plants and its management

Many Medicinal and Aromatic plants are highly vulnerable to the attack of plant parasitic nematodes. In India, the commercial cultivation of menthol mint suffers a great yield loss due to root-knot disease caused by Meloidogyne spp. (M. incognita and M. javanica). Similarly Peppermint is suffered by Meloidogyne spp., M. hapla, Pratylenchus minyus, and Tylenchus pratensis. Spearmint is attacked by Pratylenchus spp. (P. minyus, P. pratensis and P. thornei). Bergamot and Garden mint has been reported to be attacked by M. hapla, Pratylenchus spp. and Aphelenchoides spp. Patchouli is known to be attacked by Meloidogyne incognita and M. hapla. Ashwagandha is seriously damaged by Meloidogyne incognita. The details about the occurrence, symptoms and management of these nematodes have been described in this article.