Belize, Central America, Crops, Distribution, Plant-Parasitic Nematodes
Abstract
Plant nematode surveys were made at 55 farm sites in six Districts of Belize, Central America, during February, November and December, 1993. Crops sampled included banana and plantain, cassava, citrus, coconut, cocoyam, corn, ginger, papaya, passion fruit, peanut, pigeon pea, pineapple, potato, rice, sugar cane, yam, and vegetables (beans, cabbage, carrot, cowpea, onion, peppers, tomato, okra, cucumber, pea, eggplant). Soil and root samples also were taken from primary forest soils. A total of 47 plant-parasitic nematode species were identified. Of these, the important crop pests found were the root-knot nematodes, Meloidogyne arenaria, M. incognita, and Meloidogyne sp., on vegetable and other crops; the root lesion nematodes, Pratylenchus brachyurus on a range of crops, P. coffeae on yams and plantain, P. zeae on rice and corn; the burrowing nematode, Radopholus similis, on banana and plantain, the red ring nematode, Rhadinaphelenchus cocophilus, on coconut; the reniform nematode, R
