STUDIES ON ROOT-KNOT NEMATODES AND RESISTANCE IN WILD POTATOES

GARCÍA LE, FERRER MS, SEGURA D, MASUELLI RW, SANCHEZ-PUERTA MV.

Mendoza

Congreso; XXVIII Reunión de la Sociedad de Biología de Cuyo; 2010

Sociedad de Biología de Cuyo

Root-knot nematodes, from the genus Meloidogyne, represent themost important soil pathogen for potato cultivars in Mendoza (Argentina).The cultivated potato (Solanum tuberosum ssp. tuberosum)is highly susceptible to the root- knot nematode M. incognita. Thisnematode causes great yield losses and a substantial reduction intuber quality. No resistant potato cultivar is known, although toleranceor resistance to infection by M. incognita has been reportedfor some wild potato species. However, the identity of the resistantgenotypes of wild potatoes and race of the nematodes tested areunknown. This work focuses on the identification of root-knot nematodesthat infect potato cultivars in Mendoza and on the evaluationof resistance in diverse wild potatoes. The identification of nematodeswas performed through observation of the pattern of theperineal region of females and the differential host test. A nematodeidentified as M. incognita race 2 was isolated from an eggmass that was multiplied in susceptible tomatoes. Varieties of wildpotatoes grow in the region of Cuyo (Mendoza) and were testedfor their resistance to M. incognita raza 2. The response to nematodeinfection was diverse, including at least one tolerant genotypeof a wild potato.