Plant-parasitic nematodes associated with plantain, Musa paradisiaca (AAB), in the Ivory Coast

SUMMARY A large scale survey was undertaken, in 1985 and 1986, of plant-parasitic nematodes in the major plantain producing regions of the Ivory Coast. This survey revealed nineteen nernatode species belonging to fifteen genera. Thirteen species were associated with plantain for the first tirne in the Ivory Coast. Cephalenchus emarginatus, Pratylenchus zeae, Telotylenchus sp. and Xiphinenza ifacolunl were reported on plantain for the first time in the world. Helicotylenchus nzulticinctus, Meloidogyne spp. and Radopholus similis were the most frequent and the most abundant plant-parasitic nematodes. R. similis was more prevalent in the traditional plantain producing regions of the South-East than in the more recent plantain areas of the Mid-West. This difference may be due to the presence, in the former orchards, of commercial banana cv. Poyo which is an important source of inoculum of R. similis.