• Identified and documented most of the genera and species of soil, insect and plant nematodes occurring in India.
• Highlighted the emerging nemic problems in vegetables, cereals, pulses and oilseed based cropping systems.
• Utilized biochemical and molecular techniques for differentiation of closely resembling nematode species.
• Differentiated races of root-knot, reniform and cyst nematodes using host differentials and DNA polymorphism.
• Identified genes of several plant and entomopathogenic nematodes and their sequences deposited in gene bank.
• Proposed novel classification schemes and developed diagnostic keys for nematode taxa.
• Studied the morphometrics of important tylenchid and longidorid nematode pests.
• Established the National Nematode Collection of India (NNCI) which has 2395 Type accessions belonging to 584 species and 201 genera, 2285 identified slides belonging to 225 species, and 3302 vials of wet suspension. Information on the accession of NNCI is available in the form of database.

Key Nematode Pests Identified

• Root-knot (Meloidogyne incognita and M. javanica) and reniform nematodes (Rotylenchulus reniformis) as major problems in vegetables; cyst nematode (Heterodera cajani) a nematode problems in pulse crops and root-knot  nematodes (M. arenaria and M. incognita) as main problems in oilseeds.
• Identification of cereal cyst nematodes, H. avenae, H. zeae and H. sorghi as serious nematode problems in wheat, maize and sorghum, respectively, in several north western states of  India.
• M. graminicola, an important pest of rice-wheat based cropping system as emerging problem in cereals.
• Potato cyst nematode, Globodera rostochiensis  in Shimla (Himachal Pradesh).

• Isolated, purified and characterized hydrolases from plant parasitic nematodes, and established their role in physio-pathogenesis.
• Proposed a biochemical model for compatible and incompatible plant-nematode interactions by establishing the role of peroxidase (PO) polyphenoloxidase (PPO), phenylalanine ammonialyase (PAL) and many others in resistance against root-knot nematodes in crops like tomato, cowpea and rice.
• Developed foliar application of synthetic elicitor molecules like salicylic acid, jasmonic acid and beta amino butyric acid against root-knot nematode on tomato, cowpea, rice and wheat to induce resistance and delay the growth of juveniles. Biochemical basis of induced resistance has also been established.
• Developed a HPLC protocol for the determination of glycoalkaloids that revealed high levels of tomatine and solanine in tomato varieties resistant to root-knot nematodes.
• Identified nematode specific genes of M. incognita and M. graminicola through proteomics approach.
• Several events nematode resistant transgenic of brinjal and tomato are at different stages of development and evaluation using RNAi technology against Meloidogyne incognita.
• Cloned and sequenced a new putative resistance cre gene against cereal cyst nematode, Heterodera avenae from Indian wheat cv. Raj MR1.

• Established the nematicidal potential of neem and other botanical parts and products against root-knot, reniform and pigeon pea cyst nematode in vegetables and pulses.
• Developed protocols for seed treatment with neem products and nematicides in direct seeded cereal, vegetable, flower, pulse and oilseed crops for the control of root-knot, reniform and cyst nematodes.
• Identified a large number of sources of resistance in vegetables, pulses and oil-seeds against root-knot and reniform nematodes and in cereals against cyst nematodes and a few of them used in breeding resistant varieties.
• Determined the damage threshold levels and developed crop damage nematode population density models for several crops; studied the population dynamics of economically important nematode species in relation to cropping systems and agro climate. 
• The biology, population dynamics and integrated management package for M. graminicola worked out for both rice and wheat.
• Demonstrated soil solarization of nursery beds as a highly effective technique for controlling nematodes in transplanted crops such as tomato, brinjal, chilli and rice.
• Developed a simple management package for the ear-cockle/seed gall nematode, Anguina tritici infecting wheat
• Developed integrated nematode management packages utilizing combinations of cultural and chemical control methods and their efficacy demonstrated in multi-location trials in cereal, vegetable, pulse, and oilseed crops. 
• Established a Nematode Disease Diagnostic and Advisory Clinic to assist and advise the farmers in diagnosis and management of nematode induced diseases.

• Demonstrated the role of nematophagous fungus in the bioregulation of plant parasitic nematodes.
• Established indigenous strains of Trichoderma harzianum, Aspergillus niger and Purpureocillium lilacinum as promising biocontrol agents against root-knot nematode infecting vegetable crops.
• Developed an economical and eco-friendly media for mass culturing of nematode antagonistic fungal bioagents.
• Identified the biocontrol potential of nematode specific indigenous isolates of Pasteuria penetrans on Meloidogyne incognita and Heterodera cajani.
• Advances made in understanding the mode of attachment of the spores of the bacteria, P. penetrans to the nematode cuticle.

• The Division has taken a lead by describing first new heat tolerant species of entomopathogenic nematode, Steinernema thermophilum from Indian soil and isolated more than 30 strains of Steinernema and Heterorhabditis. This contribution has boosted the EPN research in various laboratories in India.
• Basic and applied research on ecological characterization, mass culturing and formulation of EPNs. 
• The heat tolerant entomopathogenic nematode species (Steinernema thermophilum) licensed to Multiplex Biotech International Ltd., for its widespread use against soil and foliar insect pests of crops. The nature of interactions among entomopathogenic nematodes, and their bacterial symbionts as well as insect hosts worked out.