Effect of different inoculum levels of Meloidogyne incognita on Foeniculum vulgare (Badiyan): An important drug in the unani medicinal system

Herein the pathogenic potential of the root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita on Badiyan (Foeniculum vulgare) was evaluated at the inoculum levels of 100 to 4,000 J2 of M. incognita per kg of soil. A gradual increase in the inoculum levels from 100 to 4,000 J2 resulted a in progressive decline in all the plant growth and physiological parameters and nematode reproduction factor. The inoculum level of 4,000 J2 showed maximum reduction in the plant growth and physiological parameters. Analysis of the variance of the data revealed that at the inoculum level of 500 J2 caused statistically significant reduction in growth and physiological parameters had occurred. Linear regression was worked out to show inoculum inoculum-dependent outcome with inoculum density as an independent variable (X) and nematode infestation as the dependent variable (Y). The relationship between these variables was estimated through the “best fit” regression line. The linear regression model explains the relationship between the two variables, which ranges between 0 and 1. The coefficient of determination (R2) describes how the independent variable (X) clarifies the deviation in the dependent variable (Y).