Off Season Cultural Practices in Control of Root-knot of Tomato

Abstract

An experiment to control root-knot nematodes in tomato was conducted for three years using a split-plot design with four replications. The results indicated that plots left unirrigated during summer had higher plant stand, fruit yield and shoot weight, with comparatively lower root-knot incidence than irrigated plots. Similarly, deep ploughing during summer increased plant stand, fruit yield and shoot weight and reduced the disease index. Spot application of farmyard manure also increased plant stand, fruit yield and shoot weight, with the lowest disease index recorded in these plots. Thus, deep ploughing without summer irrigation, combined with spot application of farmyard manure during the kharif season, increased plant stand, fruit yield and shoot weight while providing reasonable control of root-knot nematodes. In terms of economic returns, this treatment resulted in higher gross returns than soil fumigation with DD.