P-655 - RELATIVE REPRODUCTION OF MELOIDOGYNE ENTEROLOBII, M. FLORIDENSIS, AND M. INCOGNITA ON MULTIPLE VEGETABLE CROPS GROWN IN GEORGIA

Georgia ranks among the top vegetable-producing states in the United States, with a farm-gate value of approximately $1.3 billion in 2023. Root-knot nematode (RKN; Meloidogyne spp.) is a major pathogen impacting vegetable production in Georgia. A recent statewide survey conducted across major vegetable-growing regions revealed the presence of two previously undetected species- guava RKN (M. enterolobii) and peach RKN (M. floridensis)-in addition to the commonly encountered southern RKN, M. incognita. This study aimed to compare the relative reproduction potential of M. enterolobii, M. floridensis, and M. incognita on eight key vegetable crops in Georgia: beet, broccoli, cabbage, cantaloupe, pepper, snap bean, squash, and tomato. Two independent greenhouse trials were conducted in Tifton, Georgia, in the fall of 2023, using a randomized complete block design with six replications per nematode species. Plants were inoculated with 8,000 eggs of each species and harvested 10 weeks post-inoculation. In most crops, M. enterolobii exhibited significantly higher reproduction factors, galling indices, and egg counts per gram of root compared to M. incognita and M. floridensis, except in squash and tomato, where all three species produced comparable values. Meloidogyne floridensis and M. incognita exhibited similar reproductive performance across all tested crops except pepper, which appeared to be a non-host for M. floridensis in this study. These findings highlight the aggressive reproductive potential and pathogenicity of M. enterolobii across a broad range of vegetable hosts.