TABLE CONTENTS

Differences in Host Status of Biofumigant Cruciferous Crops for
Meloidogyne incognita and M. javanica
Ploeg, A.
Department of Nematology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA92521, USA.
Cultivation of cruciferous cover crops, followed by incorporating green biomass into the soil
(biofumigation) has been shown to reduce soil-borne pathogens and pests. Using this method
to manage root-knot nematodes poses a risk, as many cruciferous crops are moderately good
hosts for these nematodes. To avoid nematode build-up during cover crop cultivation, it is
important to select poor- or non-host cover crop varieties. Previously, we evaluated the host
range of 32 cruciferous varieties for an M. incognita race3 population in a pot-trial. The
results indicated that there is a large variation in host-status between the cruciferous varieties.
These results were confirmed in micro-plot trials, and also showed that selecting poor- or
non-host varieties significantly reduced galling and root-knot nematode infestation in a
following nematode-susceptible tomato crop, and resulted in tomato yields not different from
a nematicide treatment (ca. 3x yield after fallow control). Recent results with the same 32
cruciferous varieties, but with a population of M. javanica show that the host status of the
varieties is generally very similar for both root-knot nematode species (M. incognita, M.
javanica).
5 th International Congress of Nematology, 2008 40