author(s)
Vinod Kumar, Anil Kumar and KK Verma

abstract
The present investigation was carried out to ascertain the effect of initial population densities of Meloidogyne graminicola on the root-knot development, nematode multiplication and plant growth parameters of sorghum under pot conditions, Department of Nematology, CCS HAU, Hisar during the month of June-August, 2017. Sorghum plants were grown in steam sterilized sandy loam soil and after germination was inoculated at different inoculums levels i. e. 0, 10, 100, 500, 1000 and 10000 j₂ of M. graminicola. An initial inoculum level of 500 j₂/kg soil caused significant reduction in plant growth parameters and proved to be pathogenic to the sorghum plants. With the increase in inoculums level of M. graminicola, there was a progressive decrease in plant growth parameters viz., shoot length, fresh and dry shoot weight, root length and root weight at all initial population densities as compared to uninoculated control. Maximum number of galls/plant (125.3, 159.7) and final nematode in the population in the soil (495, 658.3) were recorded in 500 and 1000 j₂/kg of soil, which subsequently decreases at 10000 j₂/kg of soil.