PLANT-PARASITIC NEMATODES OF BANANA IN AMERICAN SAMOA

Abstract

Sixteen commercial banana farms in American Samoa growing the cultivar Williams (Musa AAA,Cavendish subgroup) and eight non-commercial farms with mixed varieties were surveyed over a 10-month period. Fields were assessed for nematode species present, population densities, and root damage. In addition, two FHIA hybrids with putative resistance to the burrowing nematode, Radopholus similis, were evaluated. Population densities of Helicotylenchus multicinctus and H. dihystera were five times higher, on average, than population densities of R. similis. Pratylenchus loosi and P.gibbicaudatus are new records for American Samoa and this is only the second report of P. gibbicaudatus on Musa spp. The FHIA-01 hybrid had 60 times fewer burrowing nematodes than 'Williams' growing in the same field and FHIA-25 had the lowest nematode population densities (all species) of any variety surveyed. Average estimates of external and cortical root necrosis in the commercial fields were both 26%.