ABSTRACT
The level of resistance to root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita, in NemX, a new cultivar of the Acala-type upland cotton, was evaluated in relation to four resistant breeding lines (N6072, N8577, N901, and N903) and four susceptible cultivars (Maxxa, SJ2, Royale, and Prema). In growth pouch tests, an average of only 4 nematode egg masses was produced on roots of NemX or the resistant lines, compared to a significantly higher average of 21 on the susceptible cultivars. In pot tests, the nematode reproduction factor (RF = Pf/Pi) in NemX and the resistant lines averaged 0.7, compared to a significantly higher average of 10 on the susceptible cultivars. Root galling in NemX or other resistant cotton averaged 15%, compared to 74% on the susceptible cultivars, in either pot or field tests. In plots with low levels of nematode infestation (Pi 300 J2/500 g soil, respectively), yields of NemX decreased only slightly and averaged 1,300 or 1,050 kg/ha, respectively, whereas yields of Maxxa were severely reduced to 590 or 503 kg/ha, respectively. Fusarium wih symptoms were observed on both NemX and Maxxa, and percent occurrence increased with increasing preplant nematode density. In plots with the highest nematode densities, 22% of NemX and 65% of Maxxa plants were wilted. NemX was highly effective against five M. incognita isolates and moderately effective against a sixth isolate that had been exposed to resistant cotton over several seasons. These results showed that NemX is as resistant to M. incognita as the four breeding lines, and much more resistant than the tested susceptible cultivars of cotton.
ABSTRACT
Advance inoculation of the tomato cv. Celebrity or the pyrethrum clone 223 with host-incompatible Meloidogyne incognita or M. javanica elicited induced resistance to host-compatible M. hapla in pot and field experiments. Induced resistance increased with the length of the time between inoculations and with the population density of the induction inoculum. Optimum interval before challenge inoculation, or population density of inoculum for inducing resistance, was 10 days, or 5,000 infective nematodes per 500-cm(3) pot. The induced resistance suppressed population increase of M. hapla by 84% on potted tomato, 72% on potted pyrethrum, and 55% on field-grown pyrethrum seedlings, relative to unprotected treatments. Pyrethrum seedlings inoculated with M. javanica 10 days before infection with M. hapla were not stunted, whereas those that did not receive the advance inoculum were stunted 33% in pots and 36% in field plots. The results indicated that advance infection of plants with incompatible or mildly virulent nematode species induced resistance to normally compatible nematodes and that the induced resistance response may have potential as a biological control method for plant nematodes.
