The rubber tree, Hevea brasiliensis, is native to the Amazon region and is the most important species of its genus. The state of São Paulo is the largest national producer, showing a planted area of approximately 90,000 hectares. For a long time, rubber tree seedlings were produced directly in the soil or in plastic bags containing ravine soil-based substrate without treatment, which led to the spread of pests and pathogens of the root system. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of nematodes in rubber plantations of São Paulo State. Sampling of 75 rubber plantations spread over 64 cities in the state was done in the period between 2011 and 2012. The samples were taken from the soil and the root of georeferenced rubber trees with more than eight years of production and formed with different clones, predominating clone RRIM 600. The samples were packed in plastic, labeled bags and sent to the Laboratory of Nematology, FCA / UNESP, Botucatu, SP, where they were processed for extraction of nematodes. Pratylenchus brachyurus was found in 66% of the sampled cities. Nematodes of the genus Meloidogyne occurred in 49.3% of the cities. Nematodes of the genus Rotylenchulus and Paratrichodorus were detected in 5.3% and 2.6% of the samples, respectively. Representatives of the Criconematidae family were found in 1.3% of the sampled rubber plantations. According to the results, P. brachyurus and the genus Meloidogyne are already distributed over most rubber tree plantations in the state, but at relatively low population level.
Hevea brasiliensis; study; nematodes
