A Study on the Reaction of Six Tomato Cultivars Against Root-Knot Nematode Meloidogyne javanica under Greenhouse Conditions

The reaction of four field tomato cultivars (Super Strain B, Super Chief, Mobil, and Royal) along with two greenhouse cultivars (Polaris and ES 1002 F1) was evaluated agianst M. javanica under greenhouse conditions. The soil around tomato seedlings (bearing 5-6 leaves) was inoculated with two levels of the nematode inoculum i.e. 1000 and 2000 eggs as well as second stage juveniles per every kg of soil in pots. Control treatments received only sterile water lacking any nematode. For the experiments, completely randomized design was employed and each treatment was repeated in ten replications. Sixty days past inoculation, data of growth factors related to plants as well as to nematode reproduction were recorded and nematode reproduction factor (Pf/Pi), final nematode population, root gall, and egg mass indices assessed. Final results showed that all the cultivars were infected by the nematode, but Super Chief was found more sensitive and was figured out as a susceptible cultivar. Polaris and ES 1002 F1, both greenhouse cultivars, were evaluated as tolerant vs. relatively resistant cultivars, respectively.