Abstract

The presence and population of plant parasitic nematodes associated with rice cultivation was determined at the rice cultivation zone of Ini Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, through a survey. Samples of plant roots and soil were randomly collected for the presence of nematodes while extraction was conducted using Pie Pan Modification of the Baerman funnel method. The results showed the presence of three genera of nematodes: Heterodera, Hirschmaniella and Meloidogyne. There was a significant (P<0.05) difference in the preponderance of the different nematode population with Heterodera recording a mean distribution of 60 and 65% in soil and roots samples, respectively. The significant presence of Heterodera in the studied area could pose a potential problem to rice cultivation.

Key words: Rice, nematodes, Heterodera, Baermann, Nigeria.