TITLE:
Relative Response of Four Tomato Species to Rotylenchulus reniformis Infestation
AUTHORS:
Robert Ebow McEwan, Ramesh Kantety, Seloame T. Nyaku, Kathy Lawrence, Edzard van Santen, Govind C. Sharma
KEYWORDS:
Nematode-Resistance; Rotylenchulus reniformis; Reniform Nematode; Solanum lycopersicum; S. chilense; S. peruvianum; S. pimpinellifolium; Tomato
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.5 No.1,
January
13,
2014
ABSTRACT: The reniform
nematode (Rotylenchulus reniformis) is among the most economically
damaging plant pathogens in the United States. This nematode is mostly known for its damage to cotton
but tomato is also well-within its vast host range that includes 314 plant species across 77 plant families. Nematode-resistant genotypes offer an effective, environmentally safe alternative to agro-chemicals for reniform nematode
management. Resistance genes can be introgressed into cultivars through plant
improvement efforts. Tomato is a diploid species which is more amenable to identification of resistance genes in contrast to
cotton where cultivars are either tetraploid or hexaploid.This
greenhouse study examined
cultivated and wild Solanum species represented by 40 tomato accessions, to identify resistance and susceptibility
responses to R. reniformis. Accessions were evaluated by using single plants in six replicates.
Seeds were germinated in sterile soil and inoculated with mixed vermiform R. reniformis. After seven weeks, eggs
and vermiform stages were extracted from the root system and counted. A
susceptible control S. lycopersicum “Rutgers” (LA1090) was included. Seven putatively resistant tomato genotypes
were identified. These genotypes in increasing order of resistance are S. chilense (LA1029), S.
lycopersicum (LA1792), S. chilense (LA1932), S. peruvianum var. humifusum (LA0385) S. pimpinellifolium (LA2934), S.
peruvianum f. glandulosum (LA1283) and S. pimpinellifolium (LA1579).